Aspire International advance to knockout at Porto’s expense

Aspire International’s Funsho Bamgboye (left) celebrates his goal against Porto during their Al Kass International Cup match at Aspire Zone yesterday. PICTURE: MamdouhBy Sports Reporter/DohaAspire International qualified for the last eight of the Al Kass International Cup as Group B winners after a straightforward 2-0 victory over FC Porto.Following their 6-2 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday, the Portuguese outfit started the game knowing that they needed to win by a five-goal margin to reach the knockout stages. Yet such a scoreline never looked likely, particularly with influential midfielder Madiu Bari suspended following his red card against Real.Making two changes to his side, Mario Fernando Da Silva opted for Joao Almeida to replace Bari and granted Leandro Vieira his tournament debut in place of midfielder Miguel De Sousa.Both teams benefitted from considerable support, with a large crowd in attendance for yesterday’s opening match. And the Aspire International fans had plenty to shout about as their team quickly settled into a rhythm, creating the game’s first goal-scoring opportunity in the 13th minute.Drilling a long ball forward from his own half, defender Issa Traore picked out tricky Ghanaian Alasana Manneh at the edge of the Porto area. Cutting inside, Manneh crossed to find Ishmael Baidoo, who hit the post with a deft volleyed effort.With challenges flying in all over the pitch, the game became stop-start until the half hour mark when Aspire again hit the woodwork, with Tanzanian Orgeness Mollel rising to head against the bar.Finally, in the dying seconds of the first half, Aspire were rewarded for their dominant first half display when an attractive three-player move paid dividends. Skipping past two challenges, Manneh found Luboyera on the edge of the box, whose first touch pass put Funsho Bamgboye in the clear to fire low past Porto keeper Tiago Martins.With Porto’s hopes of qualification extinguished, the team was playing for pride as the second half began. Aspire, meanwhile, knew that a victory would put them top of Group D, and continued to press forward, finding their second goal in the 56th minute.In the second match, a climactic stoppage time winner from Manchester City’s Zackarias Faour gave the Blues a close-fought 4-3 victory over Aspire Qatar.The result means that the English side finish top of Group D, and are joined by the Qataris in the knockout stages.A game dramatic game from first to last, it was Aspire Qatar who registered first after just 50 seconds – the fastest goal of the tournament so far - when a shot from Amro Ali Surag slipped through the legs of City keeper Harry Wright.Having conceded an early goal in their previous game against Chicago Fire, City had already demonstrated that they are masters of the comeback, and quickly put the setback behind them as they, pushed high up field.Managing to test the Aspire keeper four times in the ten minutes that followed the opening goal, City’s equaliser looked only a matter of time and in the game’s 26th minute the Blues pulled level, through Marcus Wood.Within a minute after the break, a brilliant run from Abdulrasheed Umaru Ibrahim box split the City defence and, having made space for himself, the 15-year-old fired home.Aspire went further ahead in the 61st minute, when a clumsy challenge on Qatari midfielder Ahmed Abdulqader al-Meghasib resulted in a penalty, expertly dispatched by Meshaal Ibrahim and marking the 50th goal of the tournament.Now two goals down, City seemed to re-awaken and in the 68th minute they got one back. Having broken through the Aspire backline, substitute Ernest Agyiri did well to make space for himself on the edge of the box before planting a low shot into the net.Just two minutes later parity was restored with a goal of individual brilliance. Faour, taking the ball on the left wing, cut inside and curled his shot into the top right hand corner for his second of the game.Sure enough, when City’s winning goal came in final minute of added time, it was no surprise to anyone watching that striker Faour was the goalscorer.In the last match of the day, Rio de Janeiro outfit Fluminense fired themselves into the knockout stages with a stunning 4-1 victory over AC Milan.