*Ironing out and learning from mistakes the order of the day for Blue Tigresses*
*The success of Women’s Football is high on the Federation’s list of priorities, and as per the objectives in Vision 2047, we have begun the process of maximising the International windows in order for our players to play more competitive matches. The-aiff.com is present with the Senior Women’s National Team in Chennai to follow their progress as they prepare for the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers.* *Soumo Ghos*h *AIFF Media Team* *CHENNAI:* India will look to iron out the shortcomings ahead of their second International friendly match against Nepal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, on Saturday, February 18, 2023. The first match ended in a 2-2 draw after India took the lead in the second half through goals from Soumya Guguloth and Indumathi Kathiresan. However, Nepal left it late in injury time, when Sabitra Bhandari netted two goals in three minutes to draw level. Indian Women's Team Head Coach Thomas Dennerby sounded cautious on the eve of the second International friendly, saying, "We were certainly the better of the two sides on the day, and definitely should have closed that match with a comfortable win. It was just a few minor mistakes that led to those late goals." The Blue Tigresses coaching staff has been tirelessly working with the players to get smooth the creases, and Dennerby believes that these are the experiences that will eventually help the players ahead of the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers First Round, where India has been placed in Group G, alongside the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan. "Mistakes tend to happen, and we never blame any individuals for them - we are all human after all. What we try to do, though, is to learn from them and improve for the better, and that is something I have seen in these girls, over the last couple of years," said Dennerby. "That is why high-intensity International Friendlies like these are essential. I would rather have them commit such mistakes in these games and learn from them, rather than do that in the Olympic Qualifiers," he said. Despite the fact that the team had a near-comfortable victory snatched from under its feet, Dennerby was quite positive about how the Blue Tigresses are shaping up. "Results don't always reflect the real picture. Anybody who saw the last game can see that we were the better team. Some of the intricate moves that the girls had put together showed that they have a real aptitude for the game. As a coach, that gives me a lot of hope," he said. India will be without some key figures in the second friendly against Nepal, with the likes of Bala Devi and Aditi Chauhan joining Ashalata Devi and Ratanbala Devi on the treatment table. Dennerby, however, maintained a positive outlook. "It's quite a blow for the players and for the team as well. Aditi has an ACL, and Bala has shoulder injuries from a bad fall," said Dennerby. "But we take it in our stride. This is also a good chance for the other players to step up to the plate and prove their mettle." Indumathi Kathiresan, who had the pleasure of scoring in an international match in her home state for the first time, feels that the support from the stands is something that the players really appreciate. "We have not played in front of our home crowd for quite some time now, especially due to the pandemic. It was special," she said. "We were heart-broken after the final whistle that we could not secure the win. But we surely want to win it for the fans in the next game." Nepal head coach Anant Thapa sounded optimistic about his side’s prospects, saying that it may just be down to a matter of converting the chances for the team. “India are of course a very good side. But we have worked out their strengths and weaknesses. We got a lot of chances in the last game, and we need to utilise them to make life a little easier for us,” said Thapa. “I think it will be an even contest, and hopefully, the girls will be able to implement the things that we have worked on in the training ground, and win the match.” India's match against Nepal will kick-off at 7 pm IST at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, on February 18, and will be streamed live on FanCode. *Three teams in with a chance to qualify from Group A, as final day drama beckons* *Spreading the beautiful game across different states is one of the key objectives in **Vision 2047* <https://www.the-aiff.com/media/uploads/2023/01/Vision-2047-The-Indian-Football-Strategic-Roadmap-2023-2047.pdf>*, and the Federation has begun that process by taking the Hero Santosh Trophy to new heights. **The-aiff.com* <https://www.the-aiff.com/>* is present in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where the Final Round of the 76th National Football Championship for the Hero Santosh Trophy is taking place, to follow the progression of events in the premier state competition in the country.* *Vaibhav Raghunandan* *AIFF Media Team* *BHUBANESWAR:* Insofar as Riyadh will provide knockout football, intrigue, suspense and drama has already arrived at the 76th National Football Championships for the Hero Santosh Trophy in Bhubaneswar. The day began with as many as five teams in Group A still with a chance to qualify for the semi finals, Goa the only ones eliminated. By the time it ended, the number had been whittled down to two, Maharashtra and hosts Odisha also eliminated from contention. Kerala’s nervy victory over Odisha, Punjab’s demolition of Goa and Karnataka’s scrappy draw against Maharashtra means a Mexican standoff will now ensue. *Kerala 1 (Nijo Gilbert p 16’)* *beat* *Odisha 0* A leaky defence had been the bane of the defending champions in this edition, and they had conceded as many as they had scored (7) going into a crucial game against the hosts. It was a game where something, someone had to give, and if neither did then they would knock each other out nonetheless. To the credit of Odisha, they have been outstanding for large swathes of this tournament, their possession heavy, flank switching style a pain for most opposition. What they have lacked is goals. That thrashing of Goa glosses over the fact that Odisha have actually struggled to do much of all those crosses and chances in the final third. And so it proved today. Kerala were cautious to begin, and in a midfield that had decided to take the day off, Nijo Gilbert was the only performer. In a hectic game with a lot of physical attrition, Gilbert’s calm on the ball stood out. Understandably, that calm was also on display when he was asked to take the 16th minute penalty to put his team ahead. He dispatched it with ease. >From there, it turned into a coaching drill, attack vs defence. Odisha kept pushing forward in numbers, and Kerala somehow kept pushing them back. Crosses looped in were headed out, and the second ball cleared off the toes of an Odisha player. It was desperate stuff, but electric too, and as the minutes ticked by the crowd at the kalinga Stadium joined in the fray, urging the home team on. In the end, the defending champions held on. For them though the job is only half done, a fact coach PB Ramesh was keen to highlight. “Every game is a knockout for us now,” he said. And their next, against Punjab is essentially a quarterfinal, where the winner will book a berth to Riyadh. *Karnataka 3 (Robin Yadav p 45+4’, P Ankith 61’, Shajan Franklin 90’+11’)* *drew with* *Maharashtra 3 (Johnson Mathews 14’, Armash Ansari 55’, 60’)* For Maharashtra this tournament will be a lesson in how to manage injury time. Or perhaps even how to manage the last ten minutes of a game they are winning, and ensure they see it through. Steven Dias will rue the number of time his team have squandered a lead (in every game they have played at this tournament ) and how many times they have done it late (in three out of four games in this tournament). At the 7th Battalion ground in the morning, they went in with an outside chance, needing a win and hoping everyone else draws every game they play. It was too much of an ask, bu they played their part, attacking with verve to take the lead, before letting Karnataka back in — yes, you guessed right — injury time of the first half. Two quick goals in the second half seemed to have sealed the deal for them, and shocked Karnataka too. But it was not to be. Karnataka hit back, and then hit back some more. They were top of the table when the game began and a victory would have sealed the deal. A loss would drop them back in the doldrums, and put everything in jeopardy. Deep in injury time, Shajan Franklin rose high, and rose true to head a throw-in into the Maharashtra net. Pandemonium broke loose on the bench. They may not have won, but a draw meant they had their destiny in their own hands. Win against Odisha, and they will be in Riyadh. *Punjab 3 (Nickson Castanha og 20’, Rohit Sheikh 74’ 80’)* *beat* *Goa 1 (Clencio Pinto 88’)* It’s hard to fault Punjab for anything they’ve done so far in this group. And even on a day of upsets, of drama and of extreme table calculation mathematics, they got the job done from their end, winning comfortably against Goa at the 7th Battalion ground. And yet, while it takes them top of Group A, it doesn’t guarantee anything. The permutations are mind boggling. They play Kerala on February 19th, with everything on the line. Anything but a loss will see them through. Lose and they’ll be locked on points with Kerala but with a worse head-to-head record. They will then have to rely on Odisha to beat Karnataka so they can sneak through. An exciting final day beckons. *Hunger, confidence, communication – the cornerstones for Manisha Kalyan’s success* *The success of Women’s Football is high on the Federation’s list of priorities, and as per the objectives in Vision 2047, we have begun the process of maximising the International windows in order for our players to play more competitive matches. The-aiff.com is present with the Senior Women’s National Team in Chennai to follow their progress as they prepare for the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers.* *Soumo Ghosh* * AIFF Media Team* *CHENNAI:* Confidence is not always in-built; it is often earned, built over time, over sheer sweat and toil. At the age of 21, Indian Women’s Team winger Manisha Kalyan stands a woman who oozes confidence, a quality that she has not always been blessed with. The young attacker had begun her journey from Hoshiarpur, Punjab and made her way through the ranks of junior international football, before settling into the senior national team. Now, on the back of her performances, Manisha has gotten the chance to play for Cypriot club Apollon Ladies FC, where she finds herself competing for every small aspect in the footballing world. "*Mujhe chidh machti hai *(it eats away at me from the inside), when I see someone doing more than me in training. It’s just a mindset thing, and I’ve noticed that it has increased from the time I moved to Cyprus," Manisha said to the-aiff.com. "It may be anything, really – someone lifting more weights, doing more push-ups, or running more on the pitch, or shooting with better accuracy. These days, when I see all this happening, I feel like doing it better than others." While that may portray Manisha as a player who quietly works her way towards self-improvement, that is far from the case. She is anything but quiet. Ever the jovial figure in training, Manisha can often be seen joking around with her teammates, and being vocal about a number of things. "It’s something I’ve learned over time. When you have a hunger for something, you need to talk to the people around you. Maybe what you're thinking is incorrect.If you talk about it to your coaches or senior players, they could offer a different perspective, which might just help you on your way," said Manisha. "Communication is very important." This confidence is something that has come to the young winger after spending the last few months in Cyprus, where she has been playing regular league football every week. "I feel a lot more confident now after coming back. In my head, I can see what I want to do a few steps ahead, and I can do so confidently. My ability to take split-second decisions and general speed of thought, I feel, has increased," said Manisha. "Playing 1-2 matches a week has certainly helped me in that aspect." India have not had the best of results against Nepal in the first of two International Friendly matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, with the Blue Tigresses conceding a two-goal lead in the last five minutes to draw the match 2-2. Manisha played an integral part in giving India the lead with an assist for Soumya Guguloth in the second half. However, the main purpose of these friendly matches is to prepare for the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers First Round, where India have been clubbed in Group G, alongside the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan. "It’s always a learning process. Of course, we were missing senior players like Asha *di *(Ashalata Devi) or Aditi *di *(Aditi Chauhan) due to injuries, but the youngsters who were there on the pitch learned from this experience. Moving forward, they are less likely to let the game slip away in the dying stages like that again," said Manisha. "The Olympic Qualifiers are of course a tournament that we are all targeting, and we want to get into the second round like last time, and try to go further from there on. All that is happening now will push us to better our mindset in the end," she said. *Odisha bank Riyadh dreams on Oram and Tigga* *Spreading the beautiful game across different states is one of the key objectives in **Vision 2047* <https://www.the-aiff.com/media/uploads/2023/01/Vision-2047-The-Indian-Football-Strategic-Roadmap-2023-2047.pdf>*, and the Federation has begun that process by taking the Hero Santosh Trophy to new heights. **The-aiff.com* <https://www.the-aiff.com/>* is present in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where the Final Round of the 76th National Football Championship for the Hero Santosh Trophy is taking place, to follow the progression of events in the premier state competition in the country.* *Vaibhav Raghunandan* *AIFF Media Team* *BHUBANESWAR:* Rakesh Oram was called into the India U-15 team, in 2012, at the age of 14, one that travelled to Spain for the Copa Coca Cola Cup that year. He was the only Odisha player in that team, and considered the first of those that promised more. Oram played as a striker at the time. In fact, his performance in the semi-final of the National Sub-Junior Football Championship held in Goa that year had helped secure his spot in the National Team. He scored three goals against Karnataka, two against Uttar Pradesh and one against Meghalaya in that tournament. “That was a long time ago,” he says, a gentle smile across his face. “I’ve learnt a lot of different things since then.” Having started playing football as past time in Chituapara, Jharsaguda, Oram was in the sports hostel at the time of his selection. From there his growth was linear, as he went on to play for Mumbai City in 2016 and then joined the Bengaluru FC second team. When Odisha came calling for the Hero Santosh Trophy last year, he secured his release to play the tournament. “It’s a matter of prestige. To be able to play for my state, maybe youngsters will see it and get inspired even more. I learnt a lot playing outside and now I want to teach others that too,” he says. >From a hot blooded goal scoring attacker, Oram has evolved into a stoic, calm defender, unafraid of the ball and skilful enough to play it from the back. He is the fulcrum, the captain of the state team, as they battle to stay alive in the competition and book their ticket to Riyadh. At the same age that Oram was lighting up the National scene, Prabin Tigga was playing hockey. It was natural enough. He was growing up in Rourkela, the hotbed of India’s hockey. His father encouraged it and wanted him to work hard and earn his chops at the higher level. Tigga enjoyed a game on grass more than that on turf though. “I don’t know why,” he laughs. “It just appealed to me more. There was something more exciting about football. I know it seems strange for a boy from Rourkela to say that, but that’s how I felt.” Hockey’s loss was football’s gain, at least for his home state. Tigga, a defensive midfielder, is the Hutch to Oram’s Starsky, their performances the glue that holds Salim Pathan’s plan together. Tigga has experience with Pathan, having played under him at ARA FC, and knows what is expected of him within this team. The hosts play a crucial encounter in Group A on Friday, February 17, a must win game against defending champions Kerala. It promises to be a blockbuster clash, both teams knowing that nothing less than a win will do. “We have all dreamt of going abroad, playing somewhere else and now that is offered at the Santosh Trophy,” Tigga says. “Rakesh Bhai has experienced this. We all want to do so too.” *Sreenidi Deccan and RoundGlass Punjab: Scriptwriters of a new Hero I-League saga* Akhil Rawat AIFF Media Team *NEW DELHI:* Five games to go, no points to separate. That’s how we stand in the race to the 2022-23 Hero I-League title at the moment. Sreenidi Deccan FC and RoundGlass Punjab FC are locked on 37 points each, with the former ahead only by virtue of a better head-to-head record. As a matter of fact, this kind of scenario is nothing new in this league. Seven of the last eight champions have been decided on the final day, and it seems that’s the way things are headed this season as well. ‘Whatever you can do, I can do too’ has been the case between Sreenidi Deccan and RoundGlass Punjab as they continue to notch wins week in and week out. The two protagonists sit a long way clear of the rest of the pack. Gokulam Kerala, the champions of the last two seasons, never found their feet and looked like genuine challengers for the crown this time around. The Malabarians are in third place, ten points off the pace. Churchill Brothers and TRAU, on 26 points each, have had positive campaigns but haven’t been consistent enough to find themselves among the running for the title. RoundGlass Punjab have lost just once in the last two months. That was against Sreenidi at the Deccan Arena, the only time they failed to match their title rivals this season. The Deccan Warriors were a class apart that day to be fair, scoring four unanswered goals. Punjab had won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Panchkula, but the 4-0 success for the Deccan Warriors was more than just three points for Carlos Vaz Pinto’s side. It has given them an all-important head-to-head advantage, and if they remain parallel on points come the final day, Sreenidi will be crowned champions in just their second-ever Hero I-League campaign. Impeccable performances at home have been the biggest fuel in this title race. Both Sreenidi and Punjab remain unbeaten at their Deccan Arena and Tau Devi Lal Stadium respectively, dropping just two points each all season. “Our performances at home have been really good. We’ve only drawn one game. The home form has been very important,” says Sreenidi Deccan coach Carlos Vaz Pinto. But it’s the showings away from home that have been slightly concerning for the Deccan Warriors. They have four wins and four losses each so far, and with three of their last five remaining games on the road, the Portuguese coach knows his team needs to step up and stay focused. “We will fight to get all nine remaining points away from home. We believe that we can be the best team at home and away as well,” Pinto adds. Despite all the anticipation and calculations of the last five rounds, RoundGlass Punjab head coach Staikos Vergetis has held a pragmatic approach since day one. “We don’t look at the table. We take things match by match,” he says. “We don’t judge a side by where they are in the standings. We know how difficult it is for a team in this league to win successive matches.” And indeed that’s true. Punjab’s back-to-back away draws against Mumbai Kenkre and Sudeva Delhi, the two relegation-zone occupants, are a testament. The Mumbaikars also stunned Sreenidi Deccan 2-1 in arguably the biggest upset of the season. RoundGlass Punjab have racked up two crucial away wins over Gokulam Kerala and Aizawl in their last two games. That’s as many points as they collected in their previous six games on the road. Any additional title-race pressure? “Absolutely not,” affirmed Vergetis on the eve of the Aizawl game. “You cannot be completely relaxed before any game, but you cannot be anxious or nervous either. You have to balance it.” Exactly what they did the next day, grinding out a much-needed 1-0 victory to keep up with rivals from the south in the table. Vergetis’ counterpart Pinto predicts the title will not be decided until the last game. “Our focus at the moment is on the last five games. We believe we can win them all and finish on top,” said the Sreenidi boss. Six different champions in the last seven seasons. Labelling the Hero I-League as unpredictable has become routine over the years. Another nail-biting finish awaits us this year. But this year, it means more. It’s not just about lifting this coveted trophy, but also about earning a chance to be promoted to the Hero Indian Super League. The 2022-23 Hero I-League champions are less than a month away from coronation. *Srinagar hosts battle of resurgent sides between Real Kashmir and Mohammedan* AIFF Media Team *SRINAGAR:* When Mohammedan Sporting and Real Kashmir met earlier this season in the Hero I-League, the former had grabbed full points, courtesy a second-half strike by Marcus Joseph. But the snow leopards are different beasts when they play in their own backyard – TRC Stadium. Besides, Mehrajuddin Wadoo is not in the coach’s corner anymore. His replacement Noel-Gifton Williams prefers a more attacking brand of football, which has earned them four points in the last two matches. The Kolkata side, therefore, will have their task cut out when these two teams meet again here on Saturday. Mohammedan Sporting coach Kibu Vicuna said on Friday that no matter what the situation, playing at this venue is always tough. “We know that whenever you come to Srinagar, things are going to be tough because of the quality Real Kashmir have. The unusual weather and pitch obviously make it doubly difficult.” He also did not think there was anything in their win in Kolkata that his team can learn from. “The conditions are very different, the squads have changed and even Real Kashmir’s coach has changed,” he said. However, the Spanish coach said he and his team have worked on their own game accordingly. It has become clear that neither of these two teams are in the running for the Hero I-League title. It is more about survival now. Both Vicuna and Williams are trying to win as many points as possible in the last few matches to avoid the drop. Vicuna’s boys have been either unlucky or wasteful many a time this season to be in the eighth spot with 20 points from 17 matches. Real Kashmir, on the other hand, have not been able to balance their away form with the home form. They have been almost unbeatable at home but struggled to win when they had to play a string of matches away from home. As a result, they are languishing in the ninth spot on the table with 20 points in 16 matches. With change in strategy, formation and personnel under Noel-Williams, they have looked a better side in the victory against Sudeva Delhi and the draw against NEROCA. They have also netted six goals in those two matches, with defenders like Richard Agyemang and Jestin George scoring, too. That means the Mohammedan Sporting defence, consisting of Sairuatkima, Ousmane Ndiaye, Sandip Mandi, Sebastian Thangmuansang and the like have more to worry about than just Ibrahim Nurudeen or Wadudu Yakubu. Noel-Williams is expecting a tough fight from the Black and White Brigade because “they have some exciting players as well as some very experienced ones.” His penchant for playing attractive football shone through when he said, “We’re in front of our home fans, so we’re excited to score goals and win.” Talking about the first-leg defeat to the same opponent, he said, “That won’t create pressure on my players. Had I been the coach back then, it could have. But I have come with a new philosophy, new tactics. So whatever happened before doesn’t matter.” “I’m very happy with what the boys have achieved in the two games we played since I took charge,” he added. Williams also indicated that he could tweak a couple of things tomorrow to surprise Mohammedan Sporting. The match will be telecast live on Eurosport, DD Sports and Discovery Plus OTT platform from 2 pm IST. *Mumbai Kenkre crave victory against free-falling Rajasthan United* AIFF Media Team *MUMBAI*: In a crucial relegation battle in the Hero I-League, 11th-place Mumbai Kenkre FC will host 10th-place Rajasthan United FC at the Cooperage Stadium on Saturday, February 18, 2023, with the kick-off slated for 4:30 pm IST. Mumbai Kenkre had a pretty disappointing outing in their previous game against bottom-side Sudeva Delhi, losing 1-3 on home soil. The Mumbaikars missed the chance to go within touching distance of their next opponents Rajasthan United, and are now four points below safety. However, Kenkre will get a big boost in their survival battle provided they beat the Desert Warriors on Saturday and cut the gap to a solitary point with just four more games to play after that. Both Kenkre and Rajasthan are currently on a long winless streak, which could make for a feisty and desperate battle. While the hosts have failed to win any of their last four games, the streak stretches to six for the visitors. Rather interestingly, the last win for both teams came against league leaders Sreenidi Deccan in January. While Mumbai Kenkre triumphed 2-1 at the Cooperage, Rajasthan United edged Sreenidi 1-0 in Delhi. Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference, Mumbai Kenkre head coach Akhil Kothari said, “Our approach and intent is to progress. The players are training hard and the spirit in the dressing room is high. We just need a bit of luck.” “Tomorrow, if we are able to get a better control of the game, we will be in a better situation.” the Indian added. Being in the relegation scuffle is something no team wants, however, Kothari feels his men are up for the challenge and are confident of turning their season around. “The players are aware of the situation we are in and the challenge we will be facing. The attitude in training has been fantastic, and with a positive result tomorrow, I think we can turn things around.” Pushpender Kundu’s Rajasthan United had victory snatched from them right at the death by Gokulam Kerala. After leading for almost the entire game, the Desert Warriors conceded twice in second-half injury time and were condemned to their sixth defeat on the trot. It was a similar story against Aizawl earlier this month when they conceded a 97th minute winner. “They were all close contests, but that’s the beauty of the game. You never know what’s going to happen until the final whistle, and that has been bad for us,” said Kundu. “The boys were close to winning those games but anyway, we learnt a lot from them, and we will do better tomorrow against Kenkre,” he added. Kundu feels having many Mumbai players in his squad could help negate Kenkre’s home advantage. “It’s always an advantage for any team to play at home, but we already have 4-5 local lads who know the conditions well. So it will be a normal game for us, however, Kenkre have caused many upsets here, and we are taking them seriously,” he said. The match between Mumbai Kenkre and Rajasthan United will be broadcasted live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform at 4:30 pm IST. *Brazilian flair helps TRAU defeat Aizawl* TRAU FC 3 (Fernandinho 6’, Gerson 18’, Salam Johnson Singh 46’) beat Aizawl FC 1 (R Ramdinthara 35’) *AIFF Media Team* *IMPHAL*: TRAU moved to third position on the Hero I-League table with a 3-1 win against former champions Aizawl FC at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal on Friday, February 17, 2023. Fernandinho opened the scoring for the hosts early in the first half before turning creator to combine with Gerson, who added a second. Aizawl’s R Ramdinthara snatched one back for the visitors before the break, but Salam Johnson Singh’s fifth goal of the season applied the final blow as TRAU completed another home win. TRAU took the lead as early as the sixth minute. Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho found space just outside the Aizawl penalty area and pulled the trigger. His effort wasn’t too powerful, but goalkeeper Vikram Singh failed to judge it, remaining rooted to the spot as the ball rolled into the net. Fernandinho then went close to adding a second goal in the 12th minute. TRAU captain Komron Tursunov found him unmarked inside the box with his cross, but the Brazilian couldn’t direct his header on target. However, six minutes later, Fernandinho did help his team double the lead, finding his countryman Gerson with a corner, who headed TRAU into a two-goal lead. After going two goals down, the visitors showed plenty of urgency. Matias Veron had two chances in the 19th minute. The Argentine was denied by the TRAU custodian Lunkhominlenmang Jedidi Haokip on the first occasion and failed to keep his effort low on the second. Soon, Ramdinthara, the bright spot in the Aizawl attack, halved the deficit for the People’s Club. In the 35th minute, following a low cross from the right wing by HK Lalhruaitluanga, the 20-year-old was in the right place at the right time to tap the ball into an open goal. In the second half, TRAU dashed all hopes of an Aizawl comeback with a lightning-fast start, restoring their two-goal advantage just seconds after the restart. From the midfield, Tursunov played a defence-splitting pass in the path of Salam Johnson Singh, who had made a diagonal run. The 21-year-old dribbled past goalkeeper Vikram before finishing clinically with his left foot to make it 3-1. Aizawl thought they were back in the game in the 70th minute when Sailo headed the ball into the back of the net, however, the assistant referee’s flag had already gone up for offside. Five minutes later, Belarusian substitute Ivan Veras had a decent opportunity to score, but couldn’t keep his strike on target following a cross from the right wing. Aizawl kept on pushing in the final quarter but couldn’t find a way past a firm TRAU defence and a determined Jedidi Haokip in goal. With the defeat, Aizawl remain in the sixth spot with 23 points in 17 games. -- ............................. https://www.the-aiff.com <https://www.the-aiff.com> https://www.facebook.com/TheIndianFootballTeam <https://www.facebook.com/TheIndianFootballTeam> https://www.twitter.com/IndianFootball <https://www.twitter.com/IndianFootball> https://www.instagram.com/indianfootball <https://www.instagram.com/indianfootball> https://www.youtube.com/IndianFootball <https://www.youtube.com/IndianFootball> ............................. *Confidentiality:* This communication and any attachments hereto are intended only for the intended recipient(s) and are confidential and privileged, unless stated otherwise. 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