Chennaiyin FC’s dismal run have caused a lot of pain to their ardent fans throughout the season. They hadn’t found the back of the net in their last four ties, summarizing the mediocre season they endured in the ISL. Almost a similar plot was being played out at the Arena by TransStadia on Wednesday, until Jeje Lalpekhlua’s goal in the 68th minute of the match helped them defeat Sri Lanka’s Colombo FC 1-0 on aggregate and make the group stages of the 2019 AFC Cup.
After Colombo’s Chalana Chameera had made a hash of clearing Tondonba Singh’s cross, Jeje latched onto the rebound to break the deadlock. Apart from Jeje, Raphael Augusto, Isaac Vanmalsawma and Thoi Singh were the stand-out players for the home side. Chennaiyin had a lot of opportunities throughout the match, but failed to capitalise on the chances. However, once the deciding goal was scored, it was a matter of playing sensibly and not allowing the Colombo team to breach their defence. Chennaiyin coach John Gregory was satisfied with the performance of the team and he might have to carry on his duty a bit longer, having earlier stated that he would quit after the Super Cup. Chennaiyin would be looking forward to make the most of the opportunity they have at AFC Cup.
