Wolves Shown The Door
FC Sattarian Island will now face Edbe FC in the Sapphire Challenger Cup next Wednesday, while the Birds go on to face another of the Buns' leaguemates, after Kungfu 11 pulled a 2-1 upset of four-time winners Sarcastic Fringeheads in extra time. Radkowski had perhaps thought too little of their opponents, and Chia Jin Keng bagged the winner skinning a 39 year-old Vincent Chan in the 100th minute, for what must be the most famous goal of his career.
Moey Xin Seng vowed that Grilled Birds would not commit the same mistake. "Yes, Kungfu may be a third division club, but they have won five straight since their opening-day defeat to the Buns, including scalps of Edbe FC and Fringeheads now. We will be sure to respect them, and just as sure to progress against them."
Crypto Moon would also exit against SingaStyle, but that still leaves six S-League clubs in the final sixteen. Notably, defending cupholders UDNTK FC have already been eliminated in the previous round, 3-5 to perennial challengers Yew Tea.
The Hattrick Masters draw has also thrown up a clash between the Birds and Argentinean Primera División winners Los Courtney, in another tough opener for Grilled. "They should be favourites, but I'm not counting us out."
Hilal Bakhtiar judged. "But to be frank, I am more concerned right now about getting that first league victory for the season."
Farmer Bunnies will take Dragon Devil's on in the next round of the Sapphire Challenger Cup, after a 5-1 smashing of East Coast representatives GrayWolves FC. The III.7 luminaries went ahead in the 28th minute after a massed rush saw Abheek Kakodkar nick it in at
Gabriel Luke's near post, but
Vishnu Tallapaka equalized on the counter within two minutes. Goals from
Ibrahim Zahran Al-Maashany,
Aitykul Zaripbekov (twice) and substitute
Vitaliy Efendiev then settled it.
"It wasn't exactly a vintage performance, but given that we were missing several regulars, it should be seen as a good result." Buns gaffer
Dalibor Kostadinović said. "
Richard Agyei and
Lim Su Liang might actually have been pressed into action today if we had wanted to, but it's best to be conservative after the recent spate of injuries.
Nguyễn Văn Chương is also recuperating well from his calf issue, but he will likely skip the weekend league game."
Grilled International's H.I. Cup run would be halted in the fourth round by Senegal's FC Lutins Dakar, as the third divisioners raced to a 3-0 lead, with three goals leading into the 30th minute.
Hardi bin Besar's defiant reducer would be a lifeline, and matters got interesting as Grilled International pulled within a goal by the 83rd, courtesy of late breakthroughs by
Li Xin Chi and then
Wang Chu Chi.
On balance, however,
Wang Hanxuan had to admit that Lutins were probably the better side on the day. "Sure we experimented some, but they put out trainees like Saliou Ba too, so it's mostly even on that score. Promotion from Division Four was always our main objective anyway."
