Bengaluru hold Johor in AFC Cup semis

JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA: A stunning left-footed strike by Eugeneson Lyngdoh earned Bengaluru FC a 1-1 draw and a crucial away goal in their AFC Cup first-leg semifinal

JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA: A stunning left-footed strike by Eugeneson Lyngdoh earned Bengaluru FC a 1-1 draw and a crucial away goal in their AFC Cup first-leg semifinal match against defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim on Wednesday.

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Lyngdoh fired in a left-footed screamer from well outside the box to the left corner of the Johor net in the 57th minute after Jorge Pereyra Diaz had put the home side ahead in the 53rd minute at the Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium.

Wednesday’s draw would give an advantage to the I-League champions in their quest for a historic final appearance in the AFC Cup, the continent’s second tier club competition. Bengaluru play their second leg of the semifinals on October 19 at home at Kanteerava Stadium.

No Indian club had ever made it to the final of the AFC Cup. Bengaluru FC is only the third Indian club to have made it to the semifinals of the AFC Cup, after Dempo, in 2008, and East Bengal, in 2013.

Wednesday’s match was the third time these two sides met in this edition of the tournament. Bengaluru and Johor were clubbed together in the group stage and the Malaysian giants had won both the home and away group matches.

But this was a new day with Bengaluru denying the defending champions the dominance they had during the group stage.