Christmas cheer arrived early for football fans in Meghalaya as the state team booked their place in the final round of the Senior Men’s National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Arunachal Pradesh in their final Group E encounter at the SSA Stadium here on Monday evening.
Meghalaya entered the decisive fixture knowing that only a win — and by scoring at least two goals — would see them through. While the mission was accomplished, it was a nerve-wracking 90 minutes for the large crowd that turned up to support the hosts.
Substitute Shano Tariang broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, heading home just four minutes after coming onto the field. Apborlang Kurbah then doubled Meghalaya’s advantage in the 74th minute with a powerful finish. Arunachal Pradesh refused to go down quietly and pulled one back through Midul Doley in the 83rd minute, but Meghalaya held firm to seal the crucial win.
At the end of the group stage, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim all finished level on three points each with an identical goal difference of zero. However, Meghalaya topped the group on goals scored, netting three compared to two each by Arunachal and Sikkim, thereby qualifying for the final round scheduled to be held next month in Assam.
Meghalaya’s qualification came after a dramatic group campaign. They had suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sikkim in their opening match but were handed a lifeline when Arunachal edged past Sikkim 1-0 on Sunday. Coach Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh was well aware of what was required and his tactical substitutions proved decisive.
Arunachal created some of the better chances in the first half. Tagru James found the net but was ruled offside, while Midul struck the crossbar while attempting to lob Meghalaya goalkeeper Nister Roy Suting. With the match still goalless at halftime, Arunachal appeared content to play for a draw, which would have been enough for them to advance.
Meghalaya, however, pressed relentlessly in search of goals, earning numerous corner kicks as pressure mounted in the attacking third. In the 63rd minute, Syiemlieh introduced Shano Tariang and Dawanchwa Challam, replacing Deibormame Tongper and Riborlang L Lyngkhoi, while Fairming Suting, who had come on at halftime, added fresh impetus to the attack.
One of the many corners finally paid dividends when Apbor flicked the ball back into the danger area and Shano nodded it home. Minutes later, Apbor turned scorer himself, capitalising on a defensive mix-up inside the box to smash in Meghalaya’s second goal.
Although Meghalaya failed to keep a clean sheet after Midul’s late header, the hosts showed composure in the closing stages to see out the match and secure qualification.
The Meghalaya team celebrated a hard-earned campaign, fully aware that tougher challenges await them in the final round of the prestigious national tournament early next year.