New Delhi: Mohammad Rafi and Steven Dias found the net as Mumbai outfit Mahindra United qualified for the quarterfinal league of the 2007 Asian Cup defeating Maldivian club New Radiant 2-0 in an away match on Tuesday.

Derrick Pereira's boys finished second in Group E with 12 points but went through as the best second-placed team from the east, south and south-east Asia zone.

Singapore Armed Forces FC qualified as group winner with 15 points after it came from behind to beat Hong Kong's Happy Valley 2-1 at home.

Mahindra United became the second Indian club to make it to the AFC Cup quarterfinals after East Bengal achieved the feat in 2004.

Lifeline

Mahindra was thrown a lifeline earlier in the evening when Thailand's Osotpa M-150 FC beat group F winner Tampines Rovers 3-0 in Bangkok.

Mahindra, which finished third in the 11th National Football League, took the lead through a Rafi header in the 16th minute. It controlled the game throughout and doubled the lead in the 63rd minute when Dias capitalised on a cross.

New Radiant, which failed to open its account in the group, could not pose serious threat to Mahindra United.

Impressive

Mahindras had opened its group campaign in impressive fashion winning its first three matches but suffered a slump thereafter and came into Tuesday's match on the back of two defeats in the competition.

In the corresponding match played in Goa on March 20, Mahindra United had emerged victorious by a single goal. The two-leg knockout quarterfinals will be played on September 18 and 25.

The draw for the last eight has not been made yet. — PTI

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