AIFF Media Team

DHAKUAKHANA/SILAPATHAR, ASSAM: West Bengal maintained their perfect start to the 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 Final Round, scoring a last-minute goal to defeat Rajasthan 1-0 in Dhakuakhana, on Sunday, January 25, 2026. Earlier in the day at the same venue, Tamil Nadu defeated Nagaland 3-0. Meanwhile, in Silapathar, Assam rallied to hold Uttarakhand 1-1.

Defending champions West Bengal are on a spree, having accumulated nine points from three matches, and are at the top of Group A. Despite their loss, Rajasthan are second with six points. They are ahead of Tamil Nadu, who have the same number of points, only by dint of a better head-to-head record.

West Bengal 1 (Sayan Banerjee 89’)
defeated
Rajasthan 0

Defending champions West Bengal overcame Rajasthan’s resilience and scraped past them by a solitary goal a minute before the end of regulation time as substitute Sayan Banerjee headed home the winner at the packed Dhakuakhana Football Stadium.

After being denied the goal for long, substitute Sayan Banerjee out-jumped the rest inside the box to head home in the 89th minute of regulation time as West Bengal heaved a sigh of relief.

Perhaps encouraged by Uttarakhand’s resolute showing against West Bengal, as they had gone down by a goal late in injury time, Rajasthan put in a very determined display and all but held them to a draw. But a crucial error on the part of goalkeeper Mohit Sikhwal cost them dear.

As West Bengal midfielder Bickey Thapa lobbed it into the box from almost near the centreline, Mohit needlessly rushed out. He was nowhere near the ball as substitute Naro Hari Shrestha headed it deeper. As the ball rose near the six-yard box, Sayan Banerjee leapt above the defence and headed the ball firmly low into the far post, with the goalkeeper yet to recover. That was the only goal of a match played largely between the two penalty boxes, with the defences dominating until then.

Two minutes before the break, Bengal almost scored when Robi Hansda took from Akash Hemram and fired a firm left-footer, but Mohit Sikhwal dived and diverted it away for an abortive corner.

The induction of Sayan Banerjee and later Aqib Nawab lent the Bengal attack more cutting-edge. Their speed and ability to cut in and out saw them cause a lot of problems. Sayan Banerjee once worked his way into the box on the left and fired, but was a trifle off target. On another occasion, the Rajasthan goalkeeper dived to put it away.

As time ticked away, West Bengal’s attacks became more pronounced. Aqib Nawab dashed into the box off Sayan Banerjee’s pass, but was dispossessed in time in the 83rd minute. Just six minutes later. Sayan Banerjee himself struck the only goal of the match to keep West Bengal’s unbeaten record intact.

Nagaland 0
lost to
Tamil Nadu 3 (A. Regan 43’, Suraj Kumar P. 65’ Devadath S. 89’)

Tamil Nadu carved out a workmanlike 3-0 victory over Nagaland for their second set of full points at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium.

Striker A. Regan put them ahead in the 43rd minute as they led 1-0 at half-time. Suraj Kumar P. added another in the 65th minute, while Devadath S. completed the tally in the 89th as they won very comfortably.

The match had two different phases. The first in which both teams had an even share of the exchanges and missed opportunities. And the second in which it was Tamil Nadu who dominated and scored twice to put the result beyond any shadow of doubt.

It was Tamil Nadu who called the early shots with deep lobs into the Nagaland box. But strikers Devadath S. and Pandiyan Srinivasan were unable to make the most of the promptings from midfield and the flanks.

Tamil Nadu forged ahead just before half-time when defender Harikrishnan chipped his goal kick long for Suraj Kumar. The latter, in turn, squared to Karthick Thirumalai, who sent Regan into the box, who worked his way past three defenders and placed home from close two minutes before the break.

Tamil Nadu brought in S. Prakadeswaran and V. Sunil a little after the restart, and it made a world of difference to their game. Prakadeswaran troubled the Nagaland defence with his speed and control and provided fine crosses. The Nagaland goal looked vulnerable often, and Prakadeswaran himself unlocked the doors with a firm left-footer that came off the upright, but Suraj Kumar was on hand to fill the empty net in the 65th minute.

Nagaland seemed to give up after the second goal as their moves lacked any sting or urgency. The Tamil Nadu defence also grew in confidence and did not allow them any openings.

Substitute Sunil then sealed their fate with a brilliant through pass from midfield for Devadath, who sprinted in and placed past the onrushing Awomi with the inside of his left foot three minutes before the long whistle to draw curtains on Nagaland’s plausible challenge.

Assam 1 (Dipu Gohain 68’)
drew with
Uttarakhand 1 (Nirmal Singh Bisht 8’)

Hosts Assam managed to hold Uttarakhand to a 1-1 draw in front of a 3,000-strong crowd at the Silapathar Football Stadium on Sunday.

Nirmal Singh Bisht (8’) had put Uttarakhand in the lead before Dipu Gohain (68’) equalised in the second half to secure a point for the hosts.

Though Assam were the favourites in the game, Uttarakhand came out with their clear plans to stop the hosts. Rajender Singh Bairola was instrumental to their plans, with his ability to hurl the ball deep into the Assam box, from the throw-lines.

His presence paid off early on, when Bairola’s long throw caused some confusion in the Assam box. While the throw itself was cleared by a mesh of defensive heads, the ball fell to Anurag Singh Rawat, whose weak shot was deflected into the path of an unmarked Bisht, who poked it in at the far post.

The early Uttarakhand goal brought some urgency into the game, as Assam began to charge the opposition penalty area – Pragyan Gogoi and Pranjal Bhumij, the chief orchestrator of their attacks. Midfielder Rituraj Mohan came close to levelling the scores in the 34th minute when he curled a free-kick aimed at the far post. However, a diving save by Uttarakhand goalkeeper Abhay Bisht maintained the status quo.

Uttarakhand did gain some momentum after the change of ends, but Assam did not let up. They kept attacking in droves, especially through the flanks.

Their persistence finally paid off in the 68th minute, when centre-back Gohain charged towards the attacking third, teed himself up, and let one fly with his laces, sending a rocket of a shot into the top corner.

The hosts, egged on by the home support, kept searching for the winner in the last 20-odd minutes, but victory, eventually, evaded them once again.