The 71st edition of the Santosh Trophy, which featured a total of 10 teams from all across India, is now down to its last two as Goa and West Bengal get set to face off in the final. It is a repeat of the 1996 final which saw Bengal register a 1-0 win, and both sides will be looking to add another title to their kitty at the Bambolim Stadium in North Goa on Sunday.
The match is set to be an extremely tight affair as both sides have been undefeated so far in the competition. They were both placed in Group A, which consisted of five teams, with Bengal qualifying in first place with 10 points, while hosts Goa came in second with eight points from their four matches.
It was a goalless draw when the two teams met each other in the league phase which saw Goa avoid defeat by the skin of their teeth as the Bengal side spurned a series of chances. The attacking trio of Manvir Singh, Basanta Singh and Ronald Singh had multiple opportunities to hit the back of the net but lacked the finishing touch. Goa could have pulled off an upset in the 88th minute when Liston Colaco had only the keeper to the beat inside the penalty area but failed to control the ball properly.
Hosts Goa, who are looking to make this their sixth Santosh Trophy triumph, have as many as nine I-League players in their squad. They defeated Kerala 2-1 in the semi-final on Thursday, staving off a stiff second-half challenge. 18-year old Colaco, a Salgaocar academy product, scored a first-half brace as Kerala pushed hard after the break but could only manage to halve the deficit by the final whistle.
Bengal have enjoyed a dominant run so far in the competition and are yet to concede a goal in regulation time. After three wins and a draw in the group stage, the Bengal side entered their 44th Santosh Trophy final following their defeat of Mizoram in the semi-final tie.
After 120 minutes of action, the two teams could not be separated as the match remained goalless, with the 31-time champions prevailing 6-5 in what was a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Both teams were locked at four goals each after the first five spot kicks but Bengal entered the final after Basanta Singh scored from his kick and Bengal keeper Shankar Roy saved Lalbiakhlua’s effort from 12 yards.
The Santosh Trophy, first contested in 1941, has long been one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country and is all set to come to an intriguing close in Goa. Bengal, whose last final appearance came six editions ago, will look to add to its sizeable collection of 31 trophies while, on the other hand, the Goan team will look to make the most of their home support to clinch the title.
