Rourkela: Richmond Kwasi Owusu and Laximanrao Rane scored a goal each as Dempo Sports Club continued their winning start to the Indian Football League (IFL) 2026/27 campaign, securing a thrilling 2-1 victory over Samaleswari SC at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Rourkela on Thursday.
Captain Richmond Kwasi Owusu opened the scoring in the 28th minute before Laximanrao Rane doubled the advantage in the 58th minute for the Golden Eagles, while youngster Kartik Choudhary pulled one back for the hosts with a stunning long-range strike in the 82nd minute.
Turning out in their all-orange kit in front of their home supporters, Samaleswari started the game on an aggressive, attacking note. Led in midfield by captain Jayesh Dilip Rane and Kiyam Amarjit Singh behind an attacking trio of Argentinian forward Jorge Rolando Pereyra Diaz, Ishan Pandita, and Roshan Panna, the hosts entered the Dempo half at least six to seven times within the opening 10 minutes.
The Dempo backline of Uzziel Yaw Asomaning Budu, Athul Unnikrishnan, and Pruthvesh Pednekar was kept on edge throughout the first quarter, though Samaleswari lacked the finishing skills once they entered the final third.
Against the run of play, Dempo broke the deadlock in the 28th minute through skipper Richmond Owusu. The Ghanaian forward alertly intercepted a long ball, beat his marker Shahid Nazir, and applied a simple tap-in past Samaleswari goalkeeper Aaryan Anjaneya to put the Golden Eagles in front.
Conceding after attacking from the outset proved to be an anticlimactic blow for Samaleswari, allowing Dempo to claw their way back into the game. The Goan side enjoyed a strong spell of possession following the opener and headed into half-time with both the momentum and a one-goal lead.
Dempo began the second half on a positive note, capitalising on a string of misplaced passes from the home side to dictate play. Having gathered their rhythm, the Golden Eagles were firmly the better team after the restart and doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through a clinical finish from Under-22 midfielder Laximanrao Rane.
Latching onto a long ball, Rane got the better of his marker Shahid Nazir once again, dribbled past the defender, and slotted home past Aaryan Anjaneya, leaving the Samaleswari rearguard, also featuring Ghanaian Jamal Arago, Basit Ahmed Bhat, and Moroccan Mohammed El Jaaouani—at sixes and sevens.
Samaleswari’s struggles in the final third persisted as the match moved past the hour mark, with the hosts registering just a single shot on target despite entering the opposition’s attacking third on numerous occasions.
With Brazilian forward Cledson Carvalho Dasilva and Owusu keeping the hosts’ backline occupied, Dempo stamped their authority on proceedings as the match entered the final quarter, content to retain possession rather than push for more goals.
Just when the visitors appeared to be in complete control, Samaleswari breathed fresh life into the contest in the 82nd minute through a moment of sheer magic from Kartik Choudhary.
Spotting Dempo custodian Subhajit Bhattacharjee slightly off his line from 35 yards out, the young defender unleashed an audacious left-footed curling lob that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net, sending the Rourkela crowd into pure jubilation with the best goal of the tournament so far.
Reinvigorated by the strike, Samaleswari clawed their way back in the closing 10 minutes, throwing numbers forward in unison to desperately search for an equaliser as six minutes of stoppage time were added after regulation play.
More drama followed in the 90+5th minute when Samaleswari found their best chance of the match from a corner kick. The rebound fell right in front of Moroccan defender Mohammed El Jaaouani inside the box, needing just a simple tap-in from point-blank range, but the chance was missed, with Subhajit Bhattacharjee having his heart in his mouth on that occasion.
(IANS)
