Neftchi gets silver in Commonwealth Cup

Baku’s Neftchi football team lost to Russian champion “Locomotive” 1:2 in the final of the 13th Commonwealth Cup on Sunday.

According to the new regulations, the champions of Russia and Ukraine started the tournament in the semifinals, while teams from other CIS states had to play within their groups first. Along with “Neftchi”, Lithuania’s “Kaunas” proceeded to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, “Neftchi” scored a 2:1 victory against Ukraine’s “Dinamo Kiev”, while “Locomotive” beat Kaunas 2:0.

The Azeri team kicked the first goal in the final match, after Zaur Taghizada shot from a sharp angle, with the Russian goalkeeper Sergey Ovchinnikov failing to help his team.

On the 36th minute, Russia’s best player of the last season Dmitri Sichov sent an air ball to the team captain Loskov, who scored an equalizing header.

13 minutes prior to the end of the game, a “Locomotive” newcomer, Belarusian Sergey Omelianchuk scored the second goal with a long ball.

Moscow’s “Spartak” team won the Commonwealth Cup in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001, while Dinamo Kiev (Ukraine) in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002, Moldovan champion “Serif” in 2003 and Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) in 2004.*