PUNE: City based Pune FC completed a transfer deadline-day after signing their fourth and final foreigner in former Salgaocar striker Mandjou Keita, a Guinean who will transfer from US Soccer League club Portland Timbers.   The 6-feet one inch tall striker played last season on loan from Portland for the Goan team Salgaocar in the I-League. After a bad start to the season for the Goans, Keita’s arrival midway through and 8 goals in the league helped the team to climb up the table and avoid relegation in the end. But he couldn’t finish the season in India as he had to return to his US League team.   Keita will become the fourth foreigner at the Pune FC club along with Brazilian forward Edmar Figueira, Japanese Midfielder Arata Izumi, and Senegalese defender Lamine Tamba. Last year PFC had five foreigners including Player of Indian origin (Arata) and Asian origin (Sergey Tokov) and all could play in one match.

PUNE: Akash Kamble and Wellington Rocha scored first-half goals to help Pune Football Club beat Bombay Engineering Group 2-1 in the Super Division match of the Peninsula Land Pune Football League championship at the SP College ground here on Monday.   Kamble drew the first blood in the 32nd minute before Rocha struck five minutes later. N Nimay Singh reduced the margin in the 48th for the BEG, which failed to find an equaliser.   Results: Super Division: Pune Football Club 2 (Akash Kamble 32nd, Wellington Rocha 37th) beat BEG 1 (N Nimay Singh 48th). First Division Super League: Aryans ‘A’ 1 (Faizal Shaikh 20th) beat Khadki Blues 0. Pune FC ‘B’ v Rahul SC ‘A’ (Match stopped due to bad light with full time score 0-0. Teams remained on level in tie-breaker and sudden death. The match will resume with the sudden death). Second Division: Group C: Ashoka XI 2 (Aslam Shaikh 37th, Sunil Pawar 40th) beat   Samford 0.

Thrash last year’s champions Churchill 4-1 to climb to second spot in their debut year   PUNE: A lap of honour and a goal scored by custodian very rarely happens in Indian football but it did happen at Balewadi on Thursday night when debutants Pune FC created history by going to second place in the ONGC I-League with an authoritative 4-1 win over last year champions Churchill Brothers.   Izumi Arata opened the scoring and Edmar Figueria netted a brace before goalkeeper Subrata Paul scored from spot kick in injury time to announce loud and clear ‘Who are we Pune FC’ to the Goan giants. Nigerian striker Felix Chimaokwl scored the consolation goal for the visitors.   The vociferous crowd reacted to the unbelievable win with gusto and Pune FC players returned their gesture by taking a lap of honour and throwing their jerseys into the stands.

PUNE: Churchill Brothers midfielder Ogba Kalu Nnanna like many other players are already thinking of returning home in Nigeria after finishing the 10-month long season. Only two weeks remain for the end of the season and prospects of eating home food is what they are waiting for.   But for now, Kalu and his Nigerian teammate Felix Chimaokwu have to step forward in absence of prolific striker Odafe Onyeka Okolie to help their side finish on a high.   Both Kalu and Felix have scored well for Churchill after Odafe and they need to be at their best on Thursday against an in-form Pune FC at Balewadi Sports Complex to score goals and register a win in order to guarantee their side a second place finish behind Dempo SC, who have already sealed the title.   Fourth-placed, Pune FC, who are one point behind Churchill on 38 points can go second with a win in their penultimate game. Both the teams have a chance to finish runners-up but Churchill have a game in hand.