The 2020-21 season of the I-League got underway with Mohammedan SC edging past Sudeva Delhi FC 1-0 at the VYBK Stadium in Kolkata. Ali Faisal’s 58th-minute strike proved to be the difference between the two sides in a match that could have gone either way.

In a cagey first half, both teams appeared to be cautious of each other’s strengths while playing without exposing themselves to counter-attacks. Eventually, the tactics of the teams cancelled each other out in the middle of the park, with rare shots on goal.

The breakthrough came much against the run of play for Mohammedan SC in the 58th minute when Ali Faisal pounced onto a defensive error by the Sudeva backline and slotted it into the back of the net. The sheer power of the strike beat custodian Rakshit Dagar, despite him getting a hand on the shot.

Sudeva Delhi FC went on the offensive and searched for the equalizer, committing bodies in attack to salvage points off the match. Kean Lewis’s cross in the 80th minute failed to find the head of a Sudeva player inside the box. Although half-chances came in plenty for the Delhi outfit, a clear goal-scoring opportunity failed to crop up.

Defensive solidity in the dying embers of the match by the Black Panthers aided in their grip over the match and eventually helped them to register their first win of the season as the full-time score line read 1-0 in Mohammedan’s favour. Mohammedan will face Churchill Brothers on 14 January in their next encounter.