Churchill take full points
from Saigon Port

Striker Yusif Yakubu's double strike in the second half guided Churchill Brothers to a 2-0 victory over Saigon Port of Vietnam in the home leg of the AFC Championship match at the Nehru stadium, in Margao, Goa, on Friday.

After a barren first-half, Yakubu scored the goals in the 52nd and 75th minutes.

Both the teams played a cautious game in the first-half, with midfielders failing to create scoring opportunities as play was mostly confined to the midfield.

But Churchill drew first blood in the 52nd minute after medio Huyunh Hong Son fouled Zaheer Abbas Hamza on the left. Noel Wilson's free-kick was headed by Osumanu Husseni to Yakubu, who slotted in from close.

Spurred by the success, Churchill intensified the pressure and consolidated the lead in the 75th minute through a penalty.

A combined move between Yakubu and Jamil saw defender Nguyen Minh Phuong foul Kasif Jamal near the goalmouth and referee Anura De Silva Vidanagamage had no hesitation in pointing to the dreaded spot.

Yakubu, who took the kick made no mistake, beating keeper Livingstone to his right.

Yakubu could have completed a hat-trick a few minutes later but failed to connect a fine pass from Jamal, who was a perfect foil to him upfront.