YOUNG Muslim Football Club (YMFC) pipped Ansar Sporting Club by a solitary goal in their Super Four match of JSW NDFA Elite Division Football Tournament underway at Dr Ambedkar Stadium in Suyog Nagar on Wednesday. In the 35th minute of play, Shubham Dayema made a perfect cross from the left wing and an alert Yash Shukla headed home which proved to be the winner.

 

Young Muslim’s Mohamamad Sujat (40th) and Dayema (89th), and Ansar’s Atif Asar (before match started for using electronic device during the warm-up), Mohamamad Saad (82nd) Mohamamad Danish (90th) were cautioned while Ibrahim Khan was given marching orders with a direct red card in the 90+1 minute of play. In the final Super Four fixture, defending champions Rabbani Club of Kamptee will play Young Muslim at 3.00pm on Saturday at the same venue. 

 

 

YMFC were allowed to participate in the tournament after their officials were able to convince Nagpur District Football Association (NDFA) that they themselves were the victims of a conspiracy. “The club officials approached us and presented their view in detail saying that those who pelted stones were not YMFC supporters and in fact, they wanted to bring bad name to the popular club. Three members of our disciplinary committee went to Mominpura and made an inquiry. NDFA have identified some suspects and even filed an FIR against the miscreants at Kapil Nagar Police Station,” said NDFA President Harsh Vora while talking to the ‘The Hitavada’ on Wednesday.

 

“We were firm in our decision to ban the club. But when we realised that there was some conspiracy to defame the club, we thought it would be injustice with YMFC and allowed them to play the tournament,” Vora added. It may be mentioned here that NDFA had banned YMFC from the Elite Division after one of their players and supporters attacked referee Christopher Peter and also pelted stones on NDFA office last Saturday. “YMFC officials provided some videos and said that those who pelted stones were not their supporters and in fact they also hit them. YMFC people claimed that some rivals thought that the act (YMFC had defaulted on same accounts in recent past and were fined) would finish the club,” said Vora.