Kalinga Super Cup: Noah Sadaoui steers FC Goa to 2-1 win over Inter Kashi

In the first half, Goa couldn’t take advantage of the chances that came its way. Right from the start, its midfield was steered by Noah Sadaoui on the wing.

Noah Sadaoui in action. | Photo Credit: AIFF

FC Goa beat Inter Kashi 2-1 in its Group D match of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday. Goan winger Noah Sadaoui scored one and assisted the other to consolidate its win.

In the first half, Goa couldn’t take advantage of the chances that came its way. Right from the start, its midfield was steered by Noah Sadaoui on the wing.

Inter Kashi was defending in numbers, almost all its players putting their bodies on the line to ensure Goa didn’t take an early lead. The best chance fell to Carl McHugh, the defender rising highest to head a Sadaoui corner over the bar. Despite all the possession and the huge number of crosses it put into the box, its inability to actually test Arindam Bhattacharya, magnified its first half performance. The teams went into the break locked in a stalemate.

Goa hit back harder in the second half and dropped plenty of balls into the box for Bhattacharya to deal with. Kashi’s success in holding fort had largely relied on doubling up every time Sadaoui took the ball around the box. In the 54th minute, that discipline finally broke. Brison Fernandes played a pass across to Sadoui on the left flank. The American for once was faced one-on-one with Sumeet Passi and used it to full effect, faking one way, cutting on to his right foot and curling the ball into the top right corner.

Kashi was forced into attacking the Goa goal now and as it did its numbers at the back dwindled. Goa added a second in the 66th minute, Sadaoui again involved, as he cut on his right and crossed to Carlos Martinez who had drifted inside the box. The forward chested the cross down and volleyed it beyond Bhattacharya’s reach.

Just when it seemed like Goa would cruise to win, Kashi hit back to make for a nervy end to the game. Nikum Gyamar, introduced as a substitute picked up the ball to the right of Goa’s box, cut in past two defenders and unleashed a left footed shot into the bottom corner to get a goal back.

Bhattacharya was forced to make an outstanding save in the 85th minute, after Devendra Murgaonkar had run free with only the goalkeeper to beat. Bhattacharya flung himself on the ball as the forward tried to dribble past him to keep Kashi in the game. Kashi flung everything at Goa in the dying moments, but it was too little too late.