# Bengaluru advance to semis after knocking out Tampines Rovers
# Goalkeeper Arminder turns a sterling performance for Bengaluru
By Rizal Abdullah
Indian League champions JSW Bengaluru will face defending champions Johor Darul Takzim in the AFC Cup semi-finals with the first-leg to be played at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru on Sept 28.
Bengaluru advanced to the last four – only the third Indian club to achieve this – after holding Singapore’s Tampines Rovers to a scoreless draw in the return-leg quarter-final at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Wednesday.
The Indian outfit won the first-leg in Bengaluru 1-0 with international C.K. Vineeth’s goal sixth minute goal turning out to the decider in a match which was played in an empty stadium due to security reasons.
In the return-leg Bengaluru goalkeeper Arminder Singh Sandhu turned out to be the hero for his team – turning out a sterling performance between the posts as he frustrated Jermaine Pennat, Billy Mehmet, Jordan Webb, Izzdin Shafiq, Hafiz Sujad, and company.
Arminder’s good show, however, was marred by a yellow card for time wasting. In the first 10 minutes of play Arminder denied Izzdin and Hafiz.
Bengaluru also found Tampines Rovers’ national keeper Izwan Mahbud a stumbling block to their efforts with Vineeth and Sunil Chehhtri unable to get the ball into the net.
RESULTS
AFC CUP QUARTER-FINALS (Second-leg)
Tampines Rovers (Sin) 0 JSW Bengaluru FC (Ind) 0
(Bengaluru advance to the semi-finals 1-0 on aggregate)
