In a thrilling encounter at the U-20 National Football Championship 2025 held in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, the spirited Nagaland boys defeated the formidable West Bengal side, sealing a memorable victory in their second match of the tournament.
Nagaland took control early in the match, dominating the first half with aggressive play and sharp attacks. The breakthrough came when Ghuqhe Chishi, wearing jersey no. 8, found the back of the net, giving Nagaland a crucial 1-0 lead. Despite several more attempts on goal, they were unable to extend their advantage before halftime.
The second half saw a resurgent West Bengal side coming back strongly. However, the momentum was briefly halted as the match was suspended due to heavy winds, rain, and thunder. Following the resumption, with an additional 16 minutes of extra time granted, West Bengal launched relentless attacks, almost overwhelming the Nagaland defense.
The match took a dramatic turn when a West Bengal player was shown a direct red card for an indecent foul on Nagaland’s captain. The incident sparked a brief commotion and resulted in another red card being issued to West Bengal’s jersey no. 7, a star player of the team. Despite being down to nine men, West Bengal continued to press hard, but Nagaland’s defenders and goalkeeper held their ground with exceptional resilience, denying multiple close attempts.
In a stunning upset, Nagaland edged out the football powerhouse West Bengal with a solitary goal, earning a historic and hard-fought win. The victory was made even more poignant as the team dedicated their triumph to L. Marshila Ao, the 88-year-old grandmother of Pangersunep, who passed away the night before the match in Tuli.
With this win, Nagaland now tops the group table with six points, closely followed by Haryana with four points.