AIFF Media Team

BHAVNAGAR, GUJARAT: Goal Hunterz FC (Delhi), Progressive Sports Academy (Gujarat), Tlangnuam FC (Mizoram) and South Castle United FA (Karnataka) entered the semi-finals of the AIFF Futsal Club Championship 2025-26 after winning their respective quarter-final matches at the SAG Indoor Stadium in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday. 

Holders and Group B runners-up Goal Hunterz FC defeated former champions Corbett FC (Uttarakhand) 4-0 in the first quarter-final. Later, Group B winners Progressive Sports Academy got the better of Build Up Sports (Madhya Pradesh) 11-2 in the second quarter-final.

In the third, Group C winners Tlangnuam FC trounced Group D runners-up Young Hearts FC (Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu) 23-0 to record the biggest win in the history of the tournament, while the day wrapped up with Group D winners South Castle United FA defeating Group C runners-up FC Bushahr (Himachal Pradesh) 8-1.

Consequently, Goal Hunterz FC will meet Tlangnuam FC in the first semi-final, while Progressive Sports Academy will clash with South Castle United FA in the second semi-final.

Both semi-finals will be played on Friday, June 26, after a day’s rest.

Corbett FC 0
lost to
Goal Hunterz FC 4 (Bijoy Gusai 4’ Milind Negi 28’ Mukul Singh Shoun 38’ Manav Sharma 38’)

After a strong second-half performance, defending champions Goal Hunterz FC sent the 2023-24 champions Corbett FC packing.

The scoring began with Mukul Singh Shoun working out a brilliant move to put Manav Sharma in possession. Seeing Bijoy Gusai at the far post on the right, Sharma drew goalkeeper Vishal Dube out and crossed for Gusai to push the ball in as Goal Hunterz began their hunt for goals.

But all their efforts came to nought as Corbett defended well and also launched a concerted effort for the equaliser. They kept the ball to themselves and covered the court with swift movements. But Goal Hunterz defended resolutely. Corbett tried to take shots from outside the circle, but goalkeeper Aleef Rahaman Mollah was unbeatable as he pulled off timely saves when Corbett were on target.

Despite the presence of Lalmuansanga Sailung and PC Lalruatsanga, the team's top scorers so far with five goals each, Corbett were unable to find a way through despite their midfield dominance.

Mollah had a scare when Malsawmtluanga Pautu chipped towards the top corner, but he managed to get his glove at the last moment.

Much against the run of play, Goal Hunterz got their second as Gaurav Chadha raced down the left, beat Dube and pushed it wide for Milind Negi to fill the net in the 28th minute.

Corbett once again tried might and main to get back into the game, but Goal Hunterz kept up their defensive solidity, with at least two doing the anchoring inside the area. Desperate for a way back, Corbett brought in Malsawmtluanga Pautu as the power player to support the attack, but to no avail. Pautu was also shown a red card for striking Chadha, who had tripped him. The rule to play one short for two minutes after a red card almost cost Corbett another goal, but Shoun drove wide of an open goal.

A tiring Corbett conceded two late goals. Ansh Gupta's chipped kick-in was fisted away by Dube, who was back on the court. But Shoun volleyed the ball into the net in a trice. With Dube off his line, Sharma slammed in a long shot to make it 4-0 as defending champions Goal Hunterz completed a convincing victory and coasted to the semi-finals.

Progressive SA 11 (Chaitan Komarpant 3’ 17’ Gaurav Kankonkar 9’ 9’ 34’ 36’ Lalsawmpuia 12’ Nikhil Mali 18’ 21’ Dharmesh Parmar 28’ Rishabh Raikwar 38' og) 
defeated
Build Up Sports 2 (Rohit Egral 14’ Shubham Kumar Singh 24’)

Home side Progressive Sports Academy had no difficulty in disposing off Build Up Sports 11-2. They kept possession with deft touches, eluding flying legs and sliding tackles to break free and open up avenues for the goal.

Conducting the orchestra well from the middle, Progressive moved up with a lot of speed down the flanks, forcing corners. They took the lead as early as the third minute when Aman Shah sprinted in, and Seaon D’Souza pushed for Chaitan Komarpant to flick home on the run.

Once they forged ahead, Progressive exerted pressure mainly from the left as they moved up in tandem. A quick return pass from Krishna Vasudev Gawas saw Gaurav Kankonkar slam home from the left. As the Build Up Sports defence lost control, Lalswampuia fed Kankonkar to fire home his second, while he himself converted Nikhil Mali’s pass to make it 4-0 for Progressive.

But skipper Rohit Egral hammered home a stiff rising shot after the ball had come off goalkeeper Ozen Silva following Shashwat Bairagi’s cross to give some hope for Build Up Sports.

But the build-up at the opposite end saw Progressive score two quick goals in the 17th minute as Komarpant and Mali found the target after being put in possession by Lalsawmpuia to make it 6-1 at the break.

Progressive continued to dominate. In fact, they even indulged in the luxury of giving all nine substitutes a feel of the court. And all of them made meaningful contributions as Build Up Sports found it tough to defend. Dharmesh Parmar came on and tapped in a fine pass from Kankonkar. Kankonkar added two more goals to his individual tally, while Mali scored another, and Rishabh Raikwar's own goal completed Progressive SA's well-deserved 11-2 victory.

Tlangnuam FC 23 (PC Lalremruata 7’ 22’ Kiran Chhetri 7’ 13’ Lalremtluanga 9’ Rony C Lalenkima 12’ 14’ Lalrinzuala H 12’ 34’ K Roluahpuia 19’  24’ 36’ David Laltlansanga 19’ 33’ C Lalfakzuala 30’ 32’ Lalsangkima 31’ 34’ Jay Halpati 31’ og Jayesh Sutar 36’ 38’ 39’ Lalrochama 37’)
defeated
Young Hearts FC 0

It rained goals in the third quarter-final as Tlangnuam fired home 23 without reply against Young Hearts FC to record the biggest victory in the history of the AIFF Futsal Club Championship.

Tlangnuam's simple strategy was to spread the game wide on both flanks and produce crosses for the man appearing on the blind side of the defence to score from close quarters. Young Hearts were punished for their poor marking and paid a heavy price as they became part of an unwanted record.

Once Lalsangkima and Lalrinzuala moved up in tandem on the left and put Lalremruata in possession, the latter hit home a powerful shot to give them the lead.

Having forged ahead, there was no looking back for Tlangnuam as they all but swept Young Hearts off their feet with an aggressive display of attacking futsal. 

Kiran Chhetri intercepted a clearance on the left and fired home to make it 2-0. Soon it was 3-0 as Lalremtluanga picked up another loose ball on the left and slammed home a fierce left-footer into the near post. 

Young Hearts changed goalkeeper Prayash Raju Halpati at that point and brought in Gnana Prakash. But it made no difference as Prakash was also unable to stop the flow of goals. Rony C Lalenkima beat him after Lalremtluanga had fed him with a neat pass on the left. The scorer turned provider to enable Lalrinzuala to get on the score sheet as he pushed home from close. Chhetri got his second, and so did Lalenkima, with some sublime finishing through the centre. Skipper David Laltlansanga held the ball long enough for Roluahpuia to run into the centre, and as the pass came along, the latter rammed a stiff shot in. Laltlansanga himself made it 9-0 at the breather with a crisp finish following a move with Lalremruata on the right.

The scoreline bulged to 23-0 eventually as Tlangnuam were unstoppable. Yet their best goal was their 13th as Lalsangkima came on, took hold near the centre and let fly an angled scorcher that settled into the net.

Lalrinzuala scored another while Roluahpuia and Laltlansanga added a double each. Lalfakzuala came on and struck twice, as did Lalsangkima. Lalrochama pushed home one. Jayesh Sutar produced three fierce finishes from afar to score thrice between the 36th and 39th minutes as the winners capped a memorable performance.

South Castle United FA 8 (Yogith 3’ 4’ 7’ Nikhil Ayyappa Nunna 4’ 23’ Nagendra Prasad 11’ Abhishek Ramesh 32’ G Suresh 33) 
defeated
FC Bushahr 1 (Priyanshu Bisht 27’)

Initiating a series of raids from the start, South Castle United wrapped up a 5-0 lead by the 11th minute of the first half itself.

Playing with nothing more to lose in the second half, Bushahr tried to go all out into the attack. They utilised the powerplay to support the outfield players and provide more passing options.

But they left their own goal susceptible to counters and paid the penalty for it as they gave away no less than three goals.

It was skipper Yogith who drove in a Narendra Prasad pass in the third minute to give the winners the lead. In the very next minute, he made it 2-0 as his intended pass to Narendra struck the goalkeeper and rolled in.

Narendra was in the thick of action again as he beat Anant Parashar and pushed for Nikhil Aiyyappa Nunna to slide home. A brilliant one-two between Yogith and Jino Soosai saw the former placing home. In trying to collect a lob, Bushahr goalkeeper Anant Parashar lost his balance, and Narendra gently rolled it in to give South Castle United a strong 5-0 lead at half-time.

Bushahr kept up a steady stream of attacks and put the Karnataka side on the defensive for long spells. But they defended in numbers and denied their opponents the openings they looked for. Shots from far were dealt with effectively by Abhishek Ramesh in the goal, and the corner kicks fetched Bushahr little or nothing.

But they managed to reduce the margin in the 27th minute as Priyanshu Bisht was free at the far post to tap in a drive from Clinton D'Souza.

But once Nikhil slammed the ball into the empty net, Abhishek sent his half volley in, and G Suresh rolled it into the cage with no goalkeeper in sight, South Castle United FC bettered the margin and wrapped it up at 8-1.