Margao (Goa), Nov 1 (IANS) Uzziel Budu’s stoppage-time header helped Dempo Sports Club start their Indian Football League (IFL) 2026–27 campaign on a winning note, securing a dramatic 1-0 victory over FC Bengaluru United at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on Sunday.
Ghanaian defender Uzziel Yaw Asomaning Budu struck in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time to break the deadlock and hand the hosts all three points.
Billed as a classic David-versus-Goliath clash between a youthful FC Bengaluru United outfit and the seasoned campaigners of Dempo, the contest looked destined to end in a goalless stalemate as the visitors defended resolutely for large periods of the match.
However, Bengaluru switched off in the final 10 minutes and were punished in the dying moments when stopper-back Budu rose highest from a corner kick in the final minute of added time to glance home the winner in front of the home fans.
The game began on a scrappy note as both teams took time to settle on a slow pitch. Dempo slowly found their stride as the contest moved into the second quarter, stringing passes together and establishing a firm hold on ball possession.
Operating down the left flank, Saiesh Bagkar produced a couple of probing runs for the Goan side as he looked to link up with forwards Cledson Carvalho Dasilva and captain Richmond Kwasi Owusu. However, his efforts did not produce any real openings to trouble a well-organised Bengaluru defence marshalled by Daniel, Abdul Hannan, and goalkeeper Manjunath Hirekurbar.
Despite Dempo’s territorial dominance, FC Bengaluru United carved out their first chance of the evening from a corner kick in the 27th minute, though the resulting header was not on target.
The visitors slowly found their rhythm as the match moved into the third quarter past the half-hour mark, with captain Ribhav Sardesai and Lalramdinsanga Ralte working tirelessly in midfield to keep their shape.
Dempo continued to dominate the ball for the remainder of the opening period, commanding 70 per cent possession and producing close to 250 passes. While the hosts controlled possession well, they lacked intensity and penetration in the final third against a tight Bengaluru rearguard that kept compact numbers at the back, sending the two sides into the half-time break deadlocked at 0-0.
The match resumed at a much faster pace in the second half, with FC Bengaluru United showing greater attacking intent on the transition. The visitors came agonisingly close to taking the lead when Russian forward Marat Tareck made a fine run in behind the Dempo backline of Budu, Athul Unnikrishnan, and Pruthvesh Pednekar with only the goalkeeper in sight.
However, a heavy touch from the Russian forward at the crucial moment allowed Dempo goalkeeper Subhajit Bhattacharjee to pounce swiftly on the ball and smother the danger without any harm.
Dempo responded at the other end and won a corner kick of their own, from which defender Athul Unnikrishnan rose to meet the delivery, only to send his header off target. The intensity subsequently dropped from both sides as the game moved into the second quarter of the half, with the scoreline remaining unchanged right through to the final hydration break.
Although FC Bengaluru United were the better side for large spells of the second half, they lost concentration in the closing 10 minutes as Dempo pushed forward in search of a late breakthrough. In the 80th minute, Dempo carved out their best opportunity from open play when skipper Richmond Owusu delivered a spot-on pass to find Saiesh Bagkar inside the penalty box, only for his goal-bound shot to be bravely blocked by the Bengaluru defence.
With eight minutes of added time indicated, that missed chance initially appeared anticlimactic for the hosts, and for long moments it looked as though Bengaluru would return home with a well-earned point. However, a moment of brilliance in the 90+8th minute changed everything. Winning a corner in the final minute of the match, Dempo whipped a delivery into the box where stopper-back Budu timed his jump to perfection to glance a precise header into the second post past Hirekurbar.
In the end, Uzziel Budu’s last-gasp header proved decisive as Dempo Sports Club capitalised on FC Bengaluru United’s late lapse to seal a hard-fought 1-0 victory and open their home campaign with all three points.
–IANS
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