Brazilian-born striker Cristiano de Lima Junior playing for a domestic Indian club died on the field Sunday after scoring the winning goal for his team, Indian football official Alberto Colaso said. "After scoring the goal he had a collision with the goalkeeper. Then he fell to the ground," said Colaso, chief of the All India Football Federation. "He joined the club in October for this season. It is sad," he told AFP.
De Lima, 24, who was playing for Dempo Sports Club based in the western state of Goa, scored the second goal during the 78th minute of the Federation Cup final and collapsed immediately thereafter, Colaso said.
"I saw officials rushing to the scene and giving first aid. He did not seem to have any life in him at that point of time," a witness said.
Authorities in Bangalore's Hosmat hospital said de Lima was brought in dead.
"The exact cause of the death will be known only after the post mortem results," a hospital spokesman said.
De Lima's Dempo Sports Club won the game 2-0. This is the first time Dempo has won the Federation Cup, one of India's major football tournaments.