Dalkurd’s Sweden Cup dream ends after 3-1 loss to Hammarby

Dalkurd FF are eliminated from the Svenska Cupen after a 3-1 defeat to Hammarby in their final group match on Monday.

Karzan Sulaivany 2019/03/04 19:54

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ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sweden’s Kurdish-affiliated football club Dalkurd FF are eliminated from the Svenska Cupen after a 3-1 defeat to Hammarby in their final group match on Monday.

Dalkurd started brightly and took an early lead when Robin Tranberg scored after five minutes.

But on the half-hour mark, Hammarby’s Jeppe Andersen scored a goal to put his team level before Mads Fenger added a second seven minutes later to put them ahead 2-1 at half time.

Dalkurd put up a fight in the second half, but it was Hammarby who had the chance to extend their lead. The club was awarded a penalty on 77 minutes, but Muamer Tanković failed to convert his spot kick.

Moments later, Dalkurd’s Rawez Lawan was shown a red card before Fenger scored his second of the night and Hammarby’s third in the 86th minute to seal a 3-1 win and progression to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The Svenska Cupen (Sweden Cup) is a knockout competition where teams across Sweden’s lower and top divisions compete for the Gustaf VI Adolf Cup. The winner also gets a spot in the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League qualifying stages.

Dalkurd won their first two matches of the group stage with convincing victories and only needed one point in their game against Hammarby to progress to the next round of the Sweden Cup. However, it was not to be.

The club’s focus will now turn to their first league game of the Superettan season against Östers IF on March 31.

Based in the Swedish city of Borlänge, Dalkurd was founded on Sept. 26, 2004, by nine Kurdish immigrants as a social project. The club has since built academies in both Sweden and the Kurdistan Region.

The team’s colors are symbolic of Kurdistan, with the Kurdish flag included in the crest on their shirts.

Dalkurd had bull-dozed its way up the ranks of Swedish football since its 2005 introduction in Tier Seven, winning five promotions in its first five seasons.

However, after a string of poor results in Sweden’s top division, Dalkurd were relegated on the last day of the season, finishing in 15th place with 24 points (6W-6D-18L).