Manipur: Real Kashmir FC opened the I-League season with a 1-0 win against Neruka.

Real Kashmir FC

Imphal: Real Kashmir FC got off to a winning start to the I-League season by defeating hosts Neroca FC 1-0 here on Sunday.

It was Issahak Nuhu’s 53rd minute strike that sealed all three points for new head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo’s team.
The Kashmir side dominated the first half of the match at the Khuman Chirag Stadium and North Eastern Reorganizing Cultural Association FC were slow to get out of the blocks.

Despite RKFC’s intent, the deadlock could not be broken and the scoreline remained 0-0 at half-time.

RKFC’s efforts, though, were rewarded just minutes into the second half, with Nuhu finding the back of the net from a Yakubu Lampak cross.
“We are very happy with our performance today. We have a new coach (former India player Mehrajuddin Wadoo) this time and we are looking forward to our upcoming home games. We will try to improve our performance moving forward. ,” Real Kashmir FC owner Sandeep Chattoo said after the win.

Real Kashmir had the first chance of the match, when Jerry Hamar broke down from the left and tried his luck from outside the box, but the ball went over the crossbar.
NEROCA’s Uzbek midfielder Sardor Jakhonov was influential in first-half proceedings, operating deep in the middle of the park, helping the hosts retain possession for long stretches of the game.

For all their possession, though, NEROCA didn’t pose too many serious threats to the Real Kashmir goal, which was protected by veteran keeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury.

Nuhu, on the other hand, looked dangerous for the visitors, and went close to scoring near the half-hour mark. As the Ghanaian shrugged off his marker on the edge of the NEROCA area, he tried his luck with a snap shot, but it was straight at goalkeeper Soram Poirei.
On the conversion, Real Kashmir came out with more attacking intent, and they almost made NEROCA defense count, when Davinder Singh cut into the box after leaving his marker on the right near the corner line, and cut in a low cut. sent. Back to Nozim Babadzhanov, who put his shot inches wide.

A similar move minutes later, finally paid off for the real Kashmir, as Ghanaian midfielder Wadudu Yakubu broke unmarked in the NEROCA box on the right and sent in a hard, low cross that Nuhu broke through.