West Bengal Triumphs over Odisha to Reach Santosh Trophy Semifinals for the 52nd Time

Hyderabad, December 26 (NationPress) West Bengal triumphed over Odisha with a score of 3-1, enabling them to advance to the semifinals of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2024-25 at the Deccan Arena on Thursday.

Odisha started the match strongly, with Rakesh Oram scoring in the 25th minute to give them an early lead. However, West Bengal equalized just before half-time, thanks to Narohari Shrestha. They then took the lead with two additional goals from Robi Hansda (70’) and substitute Manotos Maji (90+2’), marking their entry into the semifinals for the 52nd time.

Hansda's goal marked his ninth of the tournament, further solidifying his position at the top of the scoring charts.

For the record champions West Bengal, facing unexpected challenges was a surprise against a team that had barely qualified for the knockout stage.

Despite their underdog status, Odisha became the second team to penetrate the Bengal defense this season, with Oram's header from a corner by Bikash Kumar Sahoo giving them the initial shock lead.

Though this was a surprise, it also served as a wake-up call for Sanjoy Sen’s team, which had been dominating the match. They continued to push forward after conceding the goal. Odisha's luck waned just before half-time when seasoned player Shrestha equalized with a powerful right-footed shot.

This goal was expected to shift the match dynamics, but Odisha remained resilient, creating several half-chances at the beginning of the second half.

West Bengal, on the other hand, struggled with their final passes, particularly in the attacking third. It took a brilliant effort from their star player Hansda to put them ahead again. In the 77th minute, he scored his ninth goal of this remarkable Santosh Trophy campaign with a well-placed left-footed half-volley from the edge of the box after receiving a header from Shrestha. A deflated Odisha tried to respond, but by then, West Bengal had established control.

A final goal from Maji deep into injury time, during a counter-attack, sealed the victory and kept West Bengal's pursuit of their 33rd title alive.