Kauko leads five-star ATKMB show to AFC Cup inter-zonal semis

Before the last Indian Super League (ISL), Joni Kauko had said if ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) made another AFC Cup inter-zonal semi-final, it would be very different from the nightmare of 2021. The Finn can have his chance now having shepherded them there with a first half brace in a 5-2 win against Maziya that helped ATKMB top group D and emerge south zone champions.

Just when it looked like ATKMB would take half-time with a 2-0 lead, Deepak Tangri had a brain fade. The defensive midfielder’s attempted backpass found Cornelius Stewart and from the St Vincent forward’s assist, Tana made it 1-2 in the 45th minute with a finish that showed why Las Palmas had invested in him.

Bashundhara Kings’ coach Oscar Bruzon had wondered whether Maziya and ATKMB would protect the integrity of the competition. He needn’t have worried. Maziya, already eliminated after Bashundhara Kings beat Gokulam Kerala FC 2-1 earlier on Tuesday, called Arsh Anwer into the game in the 17th minute; the goalie having to go big on Hamza Mohamed. Tangri had to put in a challenge to deny Maziya soon after and Ibrahim dragged his shot wide in the 24th minute. Maziya were comfortable on the ball and looked to attack the right side of ATKMB’s defence trying to exploit Prabir Das’ tendency to bomb down the flank.

Though this was a must-win game, ATKMB didn’t press till Roy Krishna decided to surprise Kiran Limbu with a sudden charge. The Maziya goalie blundered under pressure, and as the ball fell to Kauko, he took two touches and scored in the 27th minute.

That led to a passage of play where ATKMB dominated. Krishna shot out from range, was denied by Hassan Shifaz from meeting a Das delivery and mistimed his jump on the Maziya goalline from heading one in. Before the three misses, Kauko failed to get enough on a free header but made up for it in the 37th minute after Subhasish Bose found Manvir Singh with a long ball. As Maziya’s defensive lynchpin Nemanja Katral hesitated, Singh flicked the ball for Kauko to produce another cool finish.

The crowd that had trooped in for the late evening game was soon assured that the home team hadn’t been fazed by Tana’s strike. Kauko swerved with the ball and found Krishna who passed to Singh who ballooned over. Then Bose came close. It was 3-1 in the 56th minute when Krishna met Bose’s delivery to score, Kauko causing a systems malfunction by fetching up in Maziya’s central defence, and 4-1 two minutes later when Bose reacted first to meet a Colaco delivery. Carl McHugh made it 5-1 in the 71st off a Krishna assist, the Scot’s shot taking a healthy deflection.

Tana’s looping header in the 73rd made it 2-5 but ATKMB’s quality was too much for Maziya. They were caught on the counter by Gokulam Kerala but had responded by scoring nine goals in two games. To the inter-zonal semi-finals they go again in September. It is a round where ATKMB and Kauko have a score to settle after the 0-6 loss to FC Nasaf.