The group stage of the 2016 CONIFA World Football Cup continued on Monday, with four exciting games across two cities. Check out our full match wraps below.
Padania 6 – 0 Raetia, Gagra
Padania recovered from their opening game loss to Northern Cyprus with a dominant performance over Raetia in Gagra. The team from northern Italy were impressive throughout, showing great attacking prowess with several stunning goals.
Raetia were stoic in defence early, holding out considerable pressure from Padania. But a goal in the 24th minute opened the flood gates, with Padania finding the net again before half-time and then adding to the scoreboard four times following the break.
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United Koreans of Japan 1 – 0 Székely Land, Sukhum
The United Koreans of Japan commenced their World Football Cup campaign with a hard-fought win over Székely Land in Sukhum. FC Korea striker Lee Seon Cheol scored the game’s sole goal in the 60th minute, before a strong defensive effort from his team sealed the result.
Cheol, who was playing in his first-game following a lengthy absence through injury, was pleased with the performance. “We played with speed and spirit today, which is very important for the United Koreans of Japan,” he said. “We are happy with the win, but our next game over Kurdistan will be tough.”
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Sapmi 0 – 1 Panjab, Gagra
Panjab recorded a surprise result over tournament heavyweights Sapmi, an early goal from Kidderminster Harriers striker Gurjit Singh proving the difference in an evenly-matched affair in Gagra.
Playing in front of the beautiful Caucasus mountain range, both teams had several chances but Sapmi were unable to match Singh’s 8th minute goal.
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Western Armenia 12 – 0 Chagos Islands, Sukhum
Western Armenia produced a comprehensive victory over the Chagos Islands in Monday’s final game, scoring 12 goals against the determined Chagossians.
Western Armenia coach Vahe Yaghmuryan was enthused by his team’s performance: “Very good,” he exclaimed following the game with the assistance of a translator. “We played well and now must prepare for our important game against Abkhazia.”
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On Tuesday 31 May, Raetia tackle Northern Cyprus, the United Koreans of Japan face Kurdistan, Somaliland and Panjab clash before Western Armenia squares off against hosts Abkhazia in a must-see game. Watch live on SolidTango or follow match updates on MobStats. Also be sure to follow our tournament updates on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
