Football: Dialog Champions League Super 8 postponed

The clash between Air Force SC and Army SC has been slotted as the curtain raiser of the Dialog Champions League Super Eight Round but the Football Federation of Sri Lanka is yet to finalise the dates. 

Originally the Airmen-Soldier battle was to take place yesterday at the Race Course ground in  Colombo but releasing an official statement, the FFSL said that it had to postpone the commencement of the Super 8 Round due to unavoidable circumstances. 

The duration of the tournament may subject to change by a week or two according to the latest developments. All matches in the Super 8 Round were scheduled to conclude by September 25.
 
On Saturday (27) the second game of the Super 8 between Renown SC and Blue Star SC was planned to be treated as the opening ceremony of the contest but with the postponement the FFSL will come out with a new plan. 

However as planned matches will be worked off on Saturdays and Sundays at the Racecourse and CR&FC grounds. 

In the first round of the Dialog Champions League 18 teams contested where 72 matches were played. From Group A, Army SC, Solid SC Anuradhapura, Colombo FC and Blue Star SC Kalutara qualified while Renown SC, New Youngs SC Wennappuwa, Navy SC and Air Force SC reached the Super 8 Round from Group B. 

Sri Lanka Army is the only team to qualify on an unbeaten note. 

They played eight matches with seven wins and one draw. 

They scored 24 goals in the competition and only four goals were scored against them. 

They collected 22 points to be Group A champions. 

Renown SC emerged Group B champions. 

They played eight matches, obtained seven wins; they lost one to Navy SC. 

They scored 26 goals and had seven goals against them. 

Altogether they collected 21 points. 

In the entire competition 226 Yellow Cards were shown in 72 games and 21 Red Cards. In the first round 243 goals were scored. 

The most number of goals in the tournament had been scored by a foreign player Jobb Michael, who had booted 14 goals in eight matches. He represents Renown SC. 

The champions and runners-up of last year have qualified for the Super Eight. Last year’s champions were Colombo FC with Renown as the runners-up. 

The winning team will receive a cash award of Rs. Seven and a half Lakhs and the runners-up will receive Rs. Five Lakhs.