Hyderabad: West Bengal’s reign over the Santosh Trophy national football championship continues as they secured a 1-0 win over Kerala in the final match of the tournament’s 78th edition at the GMC Balayogi Stadium on Tuesday, December 31.
It’s the 33rd time the West Bengal team has won the title since the inception of the tournament in 1941 and the first since 2016.
Kerala kicked off the match, playing from left to right. In the first few minutes, there was intense competition for possession between both teams.
The first yellow card of the game was given to West Bengal’s Jewel due to a serious foul on Kerala’s Ajsal.
Since both sides were concentrating on defending against one another, there was no real progress made in the first half. Bengal kicked off the second half, but neither side managed to score. The match was to be decided in the extra time or through the penalty shootout as both teams approached the game cautiously and struggled to challenge opposing goalkeepers.
The decisive goal came from Robi Hansda of Bengal in the fourth minute of the added time. Hansda capitalized on Manotos Maji’s header into the box and calmly slotted the ball in from close range.
It changed the tide of the finals in a dramatic fashion. Kerala defender Adil Amal was caught off guard as Hansda, positioned strategically a few yards from goalkeeper Hajmal S inside the penalty area, fired the ball into the net. The standout striker celebrated his 12th goal of the tournament by removing his shirt, which immediately earned him a yellow card.
Kerala monk calls for end to shirt removal practice in temples
Kerala, though cautious, attempted and failed at the counterattacks, swift dribble attempts, and low crosses that lacked the precision and impact needed to make a difference.
Though Robi Hansda rescued the team, the absence of star striker, Naro Hari Shrestha, was greatly felt in their game. However, Hansda received the Tulsidas Balaram Player of the Match award and the Peter Thangaraj Player of the Tournament award, two of the tournament’s top accolades. He said that he was happy to win the trophy and that “he could score the match-winner is a huge bonus” for him.
Sanjoy Sen, West Bengal coach, felt honoured to take the trophy back to Kolkata after seven years. He said, “In Bengal, it is all about winning the Santosh Trophy. To finish runners-up would be considered a failure. So, I was aware of the pressure but took up the challenge.”
