AIFF Media Team

SILAPATHAR/DHAKUAKHANA: Kerala secured their quarter-final spot in Group B of the 79th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2025-26 Final Round after defeating Meghalaya 3-0 in Silapathar on Thursday, January 29, 2026. In the other match of the day at the same venue, Odisha and Railways played out a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, in Dhakuakhana, Punjab defeated Services 1-0.

With these results, Kerala have moved on to 10 points from four matches, and with just one game remaining for every team, they are assured of a top-four finish in Group B, which would earn them a spot in the quarter-finals. All other teams are in contention for the last four spot, making the final matchday a rather exciting prospect; Railways, Meghalaya, Punjab, Services, and Odisha are on six, five, four, three, and two points, respectively.

Kerala 3 (Arjun V 36’, Muhammed Riyas PT 71’, Muhammad Ajsal 85’)
defeated
Meghalaya 0 

Kerala slammed three goals to emerge fluent winners against Meghalaya at the Silapathar Football Stadium.

Kerala scored through Arjun V in the 36th minute before Muhammed Riyas netted in the 71st, and Muhammad Ajsal in the 85th minute bulged the net to quell Meghalaya’s challenge.

Kerala’s two late second-half goals changed the complexion of the game entirely. Before and after they led by a goal at half time, it was Meghalaya which conjured up the better of the scoring chances but frittered them at crucial moments. Once they provided insurance cover for themselves, Kerala played at a relaxed pace, even as Meghalaya were left to do too much to do and which they barely tried to.

Initially, it was Kerala who were the more enterprising as they played the ball long and wide to dip in effective centres. Off one such move, Shijin T let fly a fierce left-footed volley which the Meghalaya custodian Rajat Paul Lyngdoh did well to turn over the crossbar. Soon after, the goalkeeper handled a deliberate back pass by Marbiangki Suchiang and gave away a rare indirect free-kick inside the 18-yard box, but Kerala Bibin Ajayan failed to make anything of it. 

Meghalaya’s Deibormame Tongper let go of an open chance after being put through by Fairming Suting on the counter. Kerala then showed some urgency and attacked from the left.

Kerala withstood the onslaughts and built their own attacks from the flanks playing the ball a lot squarer. In the 71st minute, wing back Sandeep S. sent a long diagonal into the box. The unmarked Muhammed Riyas met it for the first time at the nearest post and tapped it home.  

It was Kerala all the way as they scored their third goal five minutes before regulation time. Substitute Viknesh came up with a long run on the left and squared into the box. Aboobacker Dilshad failed to connect, but Muhammed Ajsal was around to place it home from close, and it was all over for Meghalaya. 

Services 0
lost to
Punjab 1 (Harmanpreet Singh 28’)

Punjab got their first victory of the Final Round campaign, defeating Services 1-0 at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium.

The side from the north managed to get the lead in the first half, with Harmanpreet Singh netting what turned out to be the only goal of the game in the 28th minute. It was a cross from the right flank by Harjit that caused some stir inside the Services box. Harmanpreet, despite being flanked by two defenders, managed to bring it down on his chest, a touch that took the two defenders away from the ball. Seeing his opportunity, Harmanpreet pulled the trigger from close range to put his side in the lead.

The eight-time champions had an opportunity to double the advantage in the first half injury time, when they earned a free-kick at the edge of the area. Himanshu Jangra’s effort, however, curled over the cross-bar.

Services amped up the pressure in the second half. Jijo Jerone volleyed one over the cross-bar from inside the six-yard box in the 68th minute.

In the 71st minute, substitute Vijay Marandi cut in from the left and had a crack at the Punjab goal, but Akashmaan Chaudhary stood in the way of the shot. Three minutes later, Marandi thought he had drawn his side level when he got onto an aerial through ball from captain Abhishek Rattu and slipped it past the keeper. Much to his dismay, however, he was flagged offside.

Punjab goalkeeper Karandeep Singh made an array of saves in the closing stages as Services tightened the screws, with the eight-time champions seeing out the game for the three points.

Railways 1 (Subrata Murmu 3’)
drew with
Odisha 1 (Arpan Lakra 66’)

Odisha came back strongly to nullify Railways’ early goal advantage and score their first goal of the tournament in the second half to force a 1-1 draw at the Silapathar Football Stadium.

Subrata Murmu gave Railways the lead with a fortuitous goal in the third minute, while Odisha found the equaliser in the 66th through Arpan Lakra.

Railways could not have hoped for a better start. Just two minutes after the kick-off, their stopper Sukhandeep Singh put midfielder and skipper Johnson Joseph Mathews in possession near the centreline. The Railways skipper found a long corridor for Subrata Murmu on the right. Murmur raced in and sent a firm, angled grounder to the near post. Odisha goalkeeper Siddhanta Padhan misjudged it, assuming it would travel past the left upright. But to his chagrin, the ball rolled into the net.

The Railways outfit kept up a steady stream of attacks with their short passing game and often asked the questions of the opponent's defence. However, Odisha held firm and denied them clear openings, though they themselves failed to break past the Railway backlines, and the only time they came close was when the impressive Srikant Gadaba broke free into the box midway through the half and fired, but goalkeeper Birkhang Daimary held it well.

Odisha’s right wing-back Abinash Muduli did a good job of overlapping and producing a number of centres, but the Railways defence was not to be beaten as they kept their lead intact at the breather. 

However, in the 66th minute, Odisha managed to restore parity and score their first goal in their fourth outing. Ranjan Soren put skipper Karthik Hantal in possession down the left flank. Hantal, in turn, came up with a low centre, and Arpan Lakra rushed in to push it high into the net from close range.

The teams battled for possessio,n and the ball was largely confined to midfield. The only time Railways came closer was when substitute Ngathem Imarson Meitei broke free on the right and produced a firm right footer but the Odisha custodian parried it away as the teams eventually came off with a point each.