The governing body of the association in its emergency meeting, decided to accept East Bengal's verbal `request' to allow them to face Mohun Bagan instead of awarding them a walk-over. In a telephone call to the IFA joint secretary early in the morning, an East Bengal office-bearer said that they want to earn their place in the final and are prepared to wait for Bagan to field a side.

Bagan, who were represented at the meeting, accepted the challenge, with a face-saving clause that they will play the semi-final against East Bengal provided the security is adequate. As things stand now, the Bagan-East Bengal semi-final will be held on Wednesday and the final gets delayed further. Of course, the IFA whiletaking the decision to reschedule the matches, did not consider it necessary to consult the other finalists Mukti Joddha. The team from Bangladesh was on the field when the IFA meeting was being held.

As far as the today's semifinal is concerned, the contest was over in the first 15 minutes itself, courtesy BMFC goalkeeper Arvind Kumar. The custodian who did duty for JCT last year, might will find his career moving two steps back after conceding a disastrous second goal.

He was replaced immediately with BMFC's first-choice goalkeeper Gumpe Rime, who should have started anyway, in today's crunch match.

Mukti Joddha, a very organised team, opened the score in the second minute of the game, with veteran Jewel Rana scoring his first goal of the tournament. In fact, Arvind Kumar should have intercepted the Masud Rana free-kick from left, which sailed inches past him. Jewel Rana, the tall stopper-back who had come up to increase numbers for the free-kick, headed the ball in past Kumar.The BMFC disaster, thatperhaps left them shaken, occured in the 12th minute.