Mohammedan Sporting Club knocked defending champion Gokulam Kerala FC out of the 130th edition of the Durand Cup football with a solitary goal quarterfinal win at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Thursday.
Marcus Joseph, a former Gokulam Kerala forward, found the net late in the opening half to decide the match in favour of Mohammedan Sporting, which will now meet FC Bengaluru United in the first semifinal on September 27.
The Second Division outfit, which was scheduled to play its quarterfinal on Friday, received a bye after its opponent Army Red pulled out following multiple COVID-19 positive cases in the team.
Fan attendance
Thursday’s match was also significant on another count as a limited number of fans were allowed for the first time since the pandemic shut the doors on spectator attendance. The local organising committee has now decided to open 50 percent of the seats to spectators for the semifinals and the final.
The result: Quarterfinal 1: Mohammedan Sporting 1 (Marcus Joseph 44) bt Gokulam Kerala FC 0 .
