Kerala’s second match of Malappuram Santosh Trophy Football Championship today. The match will be played at Manjeri Payyanad Stadium from 8 pm. Kerala, who beat Rajasthan 5-0 in the first match, can activate their semi-final chances if they win.
Kerala and Bengal won one each. Bengal came from behind to beat Punjab by an unbeaten margin. In the first match, captain Jijo Joseph scored a hat trick for Kerala. Nijo Gilbert and Ajialx scored one goal each. Jijo himself is the focus of the match. If strikers Safnad and Vignesh find the target, the match will be easy for Kerala. The strength of Kerala is the crowded fans. Defensive counterattack is Bengal’s strength. Defeating Punjab boosted the team’s confidence.
Karnataka and Odisha drew 3-3 at the Kottapadi Stadium yesterday. Jamie Oram (15), Bikash Kumar Saho (65) and Chandra Mudhuli (76) were the top scorers for Odisha. Sudheer Kottikala scored a double for Karnataka (29, 62). Malayalee player Bavu Nishad owns one goal (34).
The first half was filled with attacks from both teams. Odisha got their first chance in the 13th minute. Midfielder Jamir Oram missed a pass from the wing into the box. Odisha took the lead two minutes later. Midfielder Chandra Mudhuli, who advanced through the left wing, extended the lead to Jamie Oram, who extended the lead. Karnataka, who woke up following conceding a goal, got their first chance in the 23rd minute. From the left wing, skipper Sunil Kumar passed two defenders to the box but to no avail. Karnataka equalized in the 29th minute. Midfielder Prashant Kalinga advanced to the right wing and Sudheer Kotikala converted the ball into the box. In the 34th minute, Karnataka took the lead through Bavu Nishad. The ball hit the post from outside the box and hit the body of the Odisha defender.
In the second half, both teams tried to attack from the start. In the 50th minute, Odisha got a good chance. The long throw extended into the box was headed by Fareed but hit the bar. In the 55th minute, Odisha goalkeeper smashed a free kick taken by Karnataka’s Sulaimalai. Sudhir Kotikala scored in the 62nd minute when the Odisha defense closed their eyes. Three-and-a-half minutes later, Odisha returned the favor and found the back of the net. A long throw from the right wing by Karnataka goalkeeper Jayant Kumar was deflected off the post and ended in a goal. Bikash Kumar, who got the ball, passed it over the heads of the goalkeepers and defenders to the post. Both teams then had a chance to score but nothing came of it. Odisha equalized in the 76th minute with a huge goal. The ball from the right wing was caught by Chandra Muduli’s rocket shot. The next match will be crucial for both the teams. Services to Karnataka and rivals to Odisha are Manipur.
Manipur defeated defending champions Services 3-0 in a Group B match played at Manjeri Payyanad Stadium yesterday night. Manipur took the lead in the fifth minute through Naibam Janish Singh. Lunmin Line doubled Hicop’s lead in the 50th minute. B. in the 74th minute. Sunil’s own goal was a blessing for Manipur. Manipur and Services played in a 2-4-4 formation.
Rajasthan will take on Meghalaya in another match today. The match will be played at Malappuram Kottapadi from 4 pm. Rajasthan lost the first match. This is Meghalaya’s first match. In the qualifying match, Meghalaya defeated Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the North East Zone Group A to advance to the final round.
