AIFF Media Team

SILAPATHAR/DHAKUAKHANA: Kerala and Meghalaya stole a march over the rest in Group B of the 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy, as they defeated Punjab and Odisha, respectively, in Silapathar, Assam, on Thursday, January 22, 2026. 

Kerala defeated Punjab 3-1, while Meghalaya pipped Odisha 1-0. Meanwhile, in Dhakuakhana, Services and Services and Railways played out a 1-1 draw.

Kerala, along with Meghalaya, are currently at the top of Group B with three points apiece; the former are head on goal difference. Services and Railways occupy third and fourth with a point each, while Odisha and Punjab are yet to open their account.

Kerala 3 (Manoj M 55’, Muhammad Ajsal 58’, 62’)
defeated 
Punjab 1 (Jatinder Singh Rana 27’)

Exploiting the yawning gaps at the back, Kerala pummelled Punjab into submission with a 3-1 victory to get their Group B campaign off to a flying start in the Santosh Trophy at the Silapathar Football Stadium.

Jatinder Singh Rana put Punjab ahead in the 27th minute. But Kerala rallied brilliantly in the second half to score three goals through Manoj M’s 55th-minute equaliser, and Muhammad Ajsal (58’, 62’) scored two to win it for Kerala.

It was the seven-time champions Kerala who called the early shots and forced Punjab on the back foot with a series of attacks from both flanks, but failed to get the better of Punjab custodian Karandep Singh, who pulled off some superb saves.

After being rattled for some time, Punjab took a shock lead in the 27th minute as Harmanpreet Singh eluded a few tackles, advanced upto the goalkeeper on the left and pulled his cross back into the box. Manoj charged in and effected a powerful header into the Kerala net.

Punjab then played a more compact game at the back and kept the Kerala attack at bay for the most part.

On resumption, the Punjab defence looked left sizeable gaps in the centre. The stoppers played wide apart, allowing Kerala to slip in some dangerous through passes. Karandep Singh had to function like a sweeper-keeper as he rushed out of his line often to prevent danger.

They could not survive for long, however, as Kerala restored parity in the 55th minute. Sandeep curled in his left-footed flag-kick, and Manoj was there at the right time and spot to head home from close range.

Once they were on level terms, it was all Kerala as they scored two more goals in as many minutes. Muhammed Sinan sent Ajsal away into the box on the left, and the latter did well to place it home in the 58th minute. 

Two minutes later, substitute Shijin barged in past a couple of defenders and pulled the trigger but Karandeep patted it back into play. Muhammed Ajsal got hold of it and slammed home on the turn to make it 3-1.

The contest was as good as over after that as Kerala slowed the pace, took firm control and never allowed Punjab any openings to top home deserving winners. 

Meghalaya 1 (Baby Sunday Marngar 23’)
defeated 
Odisha 0

Meghalaya eked out a solitary goal victory over Odisha at the Silapathar Football Stadium.

Baby Sunday Marngar netted what turned out to be the match-winner in the 23rd minute as the 2022-23 runners-up Meghalaya took home three points against a fighting Odisha.

Largely confined midfield, play switched into the boxes not very often, leaving the goalkeepers on either side a relatively easy time, almost all through the match. Both had just one close call early when Meghalaya’s Dawanchwa Carlos Challam went through with a pass from Iohborlang Lyngdoh on the left, but his shot grazed the side netting. On the other side, Jitu Muduli also produced a similar effort, picking up a stray clearance.

But in the 14th minute, Meghalaya should have scored as they made the most of a defence playing square and without depth when Lyngdoh again produced a superb ball for Deibormane Tongper to sprint into the box. He went clear, but instead of shooting, he squared the ball without adequate support coming i,n and Odisha fended it away to safety.

However, it was Lyngdoh who conjured up the only goal in the 23rd minute. He ran down the right and floated it into the box. Odisha stopper Bisal Tigga got a mild head to it. As it dropped down, Tongper sold a dummy while shaping to shoot, and instead, squared it to Baby Sunday Marngar, unmarked to his left. Morngar sent his rising left-footer crashing into the roof of the net.

Both teams were content to indulge in midfield scrambles for the ball and rarely got within close range of the goal as Meghalaya went in at half-time with their 1-0 lead intact.

Upon resumption, Odisha corrected their mistakes and dropped back deep in defence. That prevented the speedy Meghalaya attack from making much inroads, while they themselves saw more of the ball and exerted a lot of pressure in search of the equaliser.

The Meghalaya quartet of Apborlang Kurbah and Lyngdoh on either flank and Wanboklang Lyngkhoi in the middle produced a compact display with great understanding and kept the Odisha attack at arm's length. Odisha forced a couple of free-kicks and flag-kicks but never got close to scoring as Meghalaya saw them off without hiccups to emerge narrow winners.

Services 1 (Wangden Tamang 28’)
drew with
Railways 1 (Ngangbam Pacha Singh, 74)

Former champions Services and Railways began their campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium in Assam on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Wangden Tamang put Services in the lead in the 28th minute before Ngangbam Pacha Singh (74’) equalised in the second half with a clever finish.

Services took the lead in the 28th minute through a moment of brilliance from Wangden Tamang. The midfielder stepped up to take a free-kick from 28 yards and unleashed a sensational left-footed strike that rocketed into the back of the net, leaving Railways goalkeeper Christurajan T stunned.

After falling behind, Railways regrouped and showed greater urgency in the second half. Their persistence finally paid off in the 74th minute from a well-worked set piece, as Sheikh rolled a corner along the ground for Ngangbam Pacha Singh, who struck a precise right-footed effort from the edge of the box to find the bottom corner.

Both sides pushed for a winner in the closing stages but could not break the deadlock, settling for a point apiece.