Martins scores to give Shenhua 1-0 advantage over SIPG in FA Cup

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Obafemi Martins scored for Shanghai Shenhua to give them a 1-0 victory over local rivals SIPG in the first leg of the Chinese FA Cup on Sunday.

The former Nigeria striker tapped one in from four meters after Liu Ruofan's cut back in the 38th minute as they bid to end a difficult season with success in the country's premier knockout competition.

Shenhua finished 11th in the league this season and are aiming to win the Chinese FA Cup for the first time since 1998.

On the other side, the Chinese FA Cup is the last chance for SIPG's Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas and his expensively-assembled team to secure a trophy this season after they finished runners-up to Guangzhou Evergrande in the Chinese Super League.

They also exited the Asian Champions League at the semi-final stage.

SIPG forward Hulk in action /VCG Photo

The title match attracted special attention as SIPG forward Hulk revealed he had been contacted by an English Premier League club regarding January transfer.

The powerhouse attacker made a name for himself in Europe during a prolific spell at Porto between 2008 and 2012 and was linked with Chelsea and Manchester City during his time in Portugal.

The English interest, from one unnamed club, has resurfaced and Hulk said, "I received one contact from the Premier League and quite a few others from other countries."

The teams will meet in the second leg on November 26.