China's Shenzen Kingway moved into the semi-finals of the 112th IFA Shield Football Tournament, scoring a solitary goal victory over Mohammedan Sporting on Friday.
After an unproductive first half, talented youngster Ma Xiao Le scored in the 65th minute to ensure full points for the visitors in their maiden encounter at the floodlit Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata.
Locked goalless with Mohun Bagan in their lung-opener, Sporting have one point from two games.
While the Chinese have now moved out of reach of both Sporting and Bagan, the second semi-finalist from the group would be decided by the clash between Shenzen and Bagan on Sunday.
The goal resulted from a combined move that split open the Sporting defence and Le finished it off with a right footer from inside the box that gave no chance to Sporting custodian Gopal Das.
In the first half, Sporting matched up to the Chinese, who looked rusty despite giving abundant indications of their technical superiority.
With Bijen Singh and Noel Wilson putting up a fine display, Sporting got a couple of good opportunities, but Harbinder and Raman Vijayan failed to score of them.
