Lacklustre East Bengal held by Viva in Federation Cup

A lacklustre East Bengal sans star striker Bhaichung Bhutia were held to a goal-less draw by lowly Viva Kerala in their Federation Cup opening match on Tuesday.

East Bengal were the clear favourites over the Kerala side who were languishing at the bottom of I-League table but the Kolkata giants produced a disappointing show at the Satindra Mohan Dev Memorial Stadium in the Group A match.

Except for a fine effort by Yusif Yakubu whose free-kick in the 22nd minute hit the woodwork, East Bengal did not get a clear chance throughout the match.

The Kerala side had better ball possession in the first half but they also lacked the creativity to breach the East Bengal defence.