KANNUR, India - FC Nania of Ghana ended its sojourn to Kerala on a high note by winning the inaugural E.K. Nayanar Memorial Gold Cup international football tournament at the Municipal Jawahar Stadium here on Tuesday.

FC Nania mauled Viva Kerala of India 3-0 in an encounter shorn off excitement normally associated with a final.

The Kochi side was outclassed by its superior rival in all departments of the game. Viva missed its creative midfielder Shineraj badly. Both Baba Tunde and Anil Kumar were rendered ineffective by lack of incisive passes from the midfield and by the tightly packed Nania defence.

It will be match that Baba Tunde would like to forget in a hurry.

The striker was found wanting in converting the half-chances that came his way, and in the first half, a golden chance that would have changed the script for his side.

The Ghanians scored through Nartey Ebenezer (40th & 45th) and Charles Boating (66th). It could have won by a bigger margin had it not slowed down the proceedings in the second half.

The Ghanians dominated the match from the start. They earned at least eight corners in the first 30 minutes as the Viva goal lived dangerously. Fuseni Aminu shot out from close to waste the first genuine chance his team got in the 16th minute. Addio Daniel's header hit the bar in the 20th minute as Nania terrorised the Viva goal.

Baba Tunde's moment of reckoning came in the 32nd minute, but the Nigerian failed miserably when his side wanted him to score. Tunde picked up a long clearance by Omobalaji and the ball relayed to Sreenath. The striker moved up the right flank and entered the penalty area and his first-timer was parried away by the Nania goalkeeper. The rebound came to Tunde who shot out with the goalkeeper out of position.

Nania took its deserved lead in the 40th minute though the Viva defence should be blamed for the goal. The Viva defence was tardy in clearing a misdirected free kick, which had landed harmlessly into its penalty area. But before the ball bounced over the touchline, Baffoe Prince sprinted and retrieved the ball. He then squared the ball to Charles Boating who set up Nartey Ebenezer with a through pass and the striker scored with a right-footer from close.

Nartey increased the lead in the injury time. However, the credit should go to Babamu Yousuf who moved down the left flank and his centre beat the desperate dive of Viva goalkeeper Shinju and came to an unmarked Nartey who made no mistake.

Nania consciously slowed down the tempo in the second half, but still was too much for Viva to handle. Viva created a few chances, but the Nania defence was equal to the task and negated the threat of both Anil Kumar and Tunde with ease. Charles Boating completed the tally with a curling 30-yard left-footer in the 66th minute. Boating again hit the bar with another long ranger in the 75th minute.

Kerala Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan gave away the prizes.