Controversial decisions at either end did not stop the Nawabs’ charge
Hyderabad: Hyderabad FC put on an inspirational performance at the Gachibowli Stadium here today to beat Jamshedpur FC 3-2 in a thrilling, Thursday night Indian Super League clash.
The Nawabs scored early through Muhammed Rafi (12’) but Javi Hernandez scored twice from the spot (24’, 28’) to take the visitors into the break with a lead.
But Joseph Sunny (69’) and Andrei Alba (74’) found the back of the net after the break to seal all three points for the Yellow and Black.
This was HFC’s first home win of the 2024-25 campaign, the club’s first win of 2025 and was also the first victory for Coach Shameel Chembakath in the Indian Super League.
Rafi’s goal came from a smart move down the left. Manoj Mohammad’s cross found the full-back, who made no mistake from close range.
But it was just the start of the drama, at Gachibowli.
🔥 Our first home win of the season 🔥
Against all odds, the boys put in a stubborn display to take all three points 👊
First win for @imshameel too and we keep marching 💪 #HFCJFC #TheNawabs 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/m9cb1rgg7g
— Hyderabad FC (@HydFCOfficial) January 23, 2025
First, it was Javi who was awarded a soft penalty and then it was Jordan Murray. Both spot kicks were converted by the Spanish midfielder Javi as Jamshedpur scored two in four minutes to get a lead.
Ramhlunchhunga was then hacked down at the other end but this time, the referee found nothing wrong, leaving the fans and the players baffled.
But Hyderabad came back strong after the break, and kept pushing, before finding the breakthrough just after the hour mark.
Joseph Sunny, who toiled hard all season, found the back of the net with a sumptuous finish, to equalize. Chhunga was the architect of the move, stealing possession and beating three defenders before setting up Joseph.
It was his first Indian Super League goal too, but Hyderabad were not done yet.
— Hyderabad FC (@HydFCOfficial) January 23, 2025
And just a few minutes later, Andrei Alba popped up with a superb winner, sending the Yellow and Black at the Maidaan into a frenzy.
Jamshedpur hardly found their rhythm but did test Arshdeep Singh on goal, on a couple of occasions.
But Arshdeep pulled out two stunning saves, keeping his side’s lead till the final whistle.
Stefan Sapic, Alex Saji, Manoj Mohammad, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Abdul Rabeeh and Ramhlunchhunga all did their job as Hyderabad stood tall and took all three points from the game.
The Nawabs now have 13 points in the league table and will look to build on their recent results when they travel to Guwahati to take on NorthEast United at the Sarusajai Stadium on Wednesday, January 29.
Andrei Alba 
Muhammed Rafi 
