Diego Mauricio has been running the show for Odisha FC lately. The Brazilian scored a hat-trick against Gokulam Kerala as they won 3-1 to qualify for the group stages of the AFC Cup. The Hero Super Cup winners have been in sensational form, and picked up yet another win to seal qualification into continental football.
Mauricio found the back of the net after only 18 minutes, continuing a sensational scoring streak. He doubled Odisha FC’s lead after showing great footwork to score once again, before netting his third from the penalty spot.
Odisha FC qualify for AFC Cup after defeating Gokulam Kerala
The Malabarians were made to play on the counter attack, but were not able to be as effective. The Super Cup winners dominated the game both with and without the ball.
They were able to find the back of the net once through Farshad Noor, who headed home a great cross from Zaman. However, it wasn’t enough to make a difference in the result.
The Juggernauts finished sixth in the league, and barely made the knockout stages. Their form was very inconsistent in the league, but they have been able to put in the run of their life under Clifford Miranda in the last few games. And they will be competing in the second tier of Asian football this season, in what will be a first for them.
