Colombo FC wins Dialog Champions League
View(s):Colombo FC emerged champions of the Dialog Champions League 2015 by a solitary goal difference with Renown SC.
In the Super Eight Round Colombo FC played seven matches won four, drew two and lost one. Altogether they scored 17 goals and had seven scored against them. The goal difference was 10 and in the process gained three bonus points, totaling 17 points.
Renown on the other hand completed seven games, out of which they won five, drew two without having a single goal scored against them. They scored 17 goals altogether and had eight scored against them. The goal difference was nine, with no bonus points, collecting 17 points.
The Football Federation is the organisers of this competition and Dialog have been sponsoring this competition for 10 successive years. The winners of the competition were in line for a cash award of Rs. Seven Lakhs Fifty Thousand while the runners-up received Rs. Five Lakhs.
The Golden Boot award of the competition went to Dhanushka Wijesiri of the Sri Lanka Army. The award for the highest goal scorer went to M.C.M. Rifnaz of Renown. He scored nine goals in the competition. The Best Goalkeeper’s award went to M.N.M. Imran of Colombo FC.
There was a stiff struggle between four teams and to decide the winners of the seventh stage where Renown beat Sri Lanka Navy 5-4. Sri Lanka Navy led 2-1 at the breather and in the second half Renown scored four goals to win the game 5-4 at full time.M.C.M. Rifnaz scored three goals and Emmanuel Chukwuebuka Ojinkeya scored one and Shamil Ahmed one scored for Renown. For Navy Chalana Chameera (2), Mahesh Priyadarshana (1) and NirmalWijesinghe (1) banged in the goals.
In the second game Colombo FC beat Sri Lanka Army 2-0. At the breather Colombo FC led 1-0 with Y.S.J.F. Momas scoring the first goal while the second was netted in by T.F.B. Dimitri.
The champions Colombo FC started playing football in 2008 and became FA Cup champions in 2014-2015. To date they have won the two main competitions in the island. In 2014 the Dialog Champions League title was won by Solid SC of Anuradhapura but was ousted in the Premier League.
The champion team Colombo FC is coached by former national player M.H. Roomy. – SP