With Amrinder suspended, the mantle of BFC custodian at AFC Cup final falls on Lalthuammawia Ralte

23 YEAR OLD Lalthuammawia Ralte, the second choice keeper at Bengaluru FC, is suddenly in the spotlight as he is about to play the biggest game of his career yet.

Towards the end of the first-choice custodian Amrinder Singh who has been a stout presence under the crossbar for the Blues throughout the entire AFC Cup knockout stage seemed to pick up an injury and had to be visited by a medic on the pitch. After a while he got up and was ready to continue playing the game, but the referee thought he was faking the injury and booked him. And since he had already picked up a yellow in the away game against Tampines Rovers, the second booking meant he will be suspended from the AFC Cup final.

This puts the burden of protecting BFC's goal on Ralte. The former Shillong Lajong keeper who joined the Blues in 2014 has made 25 league appearances for them so far, and was the first choice keeper at the club before Amrinder took that crown for him. Last season, he made 5 league appearances, and kept two clean sheets. 

The experienced Mizo keeper has also played a few games for Bengaluru FC in their AFC Cup 2016 campaign. He was there when the Blues played Johor Darul Ta'zim at home in the AFC Cup group stage back in March. He also played when BFC took on Ayeyawadi United at home and Lao Toyota away.

But playing in a continental cup final will be a new experience for him, as it will be for most of the Bengaluru FC players. Nonetheless, the responsibility to make sure BFC do not miss the presence of Amrinder in the biggest game of the club's history now falls on Ralte. 

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