ONGC dethrone Air India to win MDFA Elite title

Ghanaian striker Enock Annan’s late goal helped ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corporation) emerge Elite Division champions of the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) League 2017-2018. The oilmen snatched a  1-0 win against defending champions Air India in the concluding league match at the Cooperage ground. The ONGC outfit had last won the Elite Division title in 2014-15 season and were runners-up in the last two editions (2015-16 & 2016-17).

ONGC, which dropped two valuable points against Western Railway in the earlier rounds, were two points behind Air India, who with an all-win record, sat pretty at the top with 30 points. But the oilmen, who required a win at all cost, made their intentions clear from the start as they adopted an attacking approach and created the better chances, especially in the first half. ONGC also kept rotating the positions of their players, especially the attackers . Annan, who started on the left wing switched to the right before starting the second half in the centre-forward position and managed to score the crucial goal.

In contrast, Air India was not their usual selves and their attacking lacked fluidity and hardly posed too many problems for the rival defenders. In the 16th minute, ONGC came close to taking the lead but Harkirat’s snap effort from the top of the penalty box narrowly sailed over the horizontal bar. Ten minutes later, Annan was provided with a gilt-edged opportunity as skipper F. Lalmuanpuia with measured diagonal through pass put the Ghanaian in the clear, but he weakly fired wide.

In the second period, Air India showed more intent and had a golden chance to find the net and their consistent scorer Pratik Koli did well to sneak past the two ONGC central defenders, but he was unable to beat the experienced Billyfong Nazarry in the ONGC citadel.

With time ticking away, ONGC finally found their reward. Himanshu Jain’s floater from the left bounced off the head of an Air India defender. The ball ballooned up and Annan leapt high to head over the Air India goalkeeper Praveen C., who was off his line in the 83rd minute. That goal triggered celebrations in the ONGC camp.

Thereafter, ONGC defended stoutly to deny Air India, who made a couple of raids at the goal, from finding the equaliser.

ONGC finished with 31 points, while Air India were second with 30 points and Union Bank of India third with 23 points.