Uttar Pradesh 1 (Divya 25')
lost to
Maharashtra 4 (Aysha Sartape 15', Aarnaa Sindhav 56', Sharvari Mane 83', Ipshita Gawari 87')

AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra clinched the Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls' National Football Championship Tier 2 title after a 4-1 victory over Uttar Pradesh in the final at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium in Chümoukedima, Nagaland, on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

Both finalists, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, have earned promotion to Tier 1 for next season. On the other hand, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa, the two bottom-ranked sides from this season's Tier 1, have been relegated to next season's Tier 2. Manipur were crowned the Tier 1 champions in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, earlier this month.

On Thursday evening in Nagaland, Maharashtra started on a bright note, taking the lead in the 15th minute. From a free-kick just centimetres outside the box, Aysha Sartape went for precision instead of power. The Maharashtra captain executed it perfectly as her strike nestled into the top corner. Uttar Pradesh goalkeeper Anshi Kashyap had no chance of saving it.

But Uttar Pradesh, who had won all three games en route to the final, took only 10 minutes to equalise. Shbana's firmly struck left-footed pass pierced through the Maharashtra backline and found Divya unmarked inside the box. Divya had all the time in the world to turn, pick her spot and slot it into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 in the 25th minute.

However, the second half completely belonged to Maharashtra. Coached by Kirti Patil, they retook the lead in the 56th minute when Aarnaa Sindhav deftly converted Sharvari Mane's cross from the left to make it 2-1. Sharvari got on the scoresheet herself in the 83rd minute when she received the ball around 35 yards from the goal, dribbled past a couple of defenders, and then shot into the top corner.

There was now daylight between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and Ipshita Gawari only added further gloss to the scoreline for the former by scoring perhaps the best goal of the night. Carrying the ball from the right flank all alone, Ipshita skipped past three Uttar Pradesh players with ease before squeezing the ball into the back of the net from a narrow angle for a brilliant solo goal.