Shillong, Dec 26: After rebounding brilliantly from a slow start to finish Group B of the final round of the Senior Men’s National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2024-25 in second place, Meghalaya will now take on defending champions Services in the quarterfinals in Hyderabad on Friday.
This match, which will be the fourth and last of the quarterfinals, will take place at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad from 7:30pm.
Services, who have won this elite tournament seven times over the years, finished third in Group A behind West Bengal and Manipur and ahead of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kerala finished in front of Meghalaya in Group B, while Delhi and Odisha came third and fourth respectively.
Meghalaya picked up just 1 point from their first two group matches before winning the next two to qualify for the knockouts and then testing their bench strength against Odisha in a goalless draw. Coach Hering Shangpliang’s men will want to convert more of the attacking opportunities they create in the opposition half but will also want to extend their excellent record at the back where they have kept three clean sheets in a row.
Services, on the other hand, won against three teams in their group but lost to Manipur and West Bengal.
Services have gotten the better of Meghalaya in their most recent Santosh Trophy meetings, having won in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Both of those games were in the group stages, however, while the two sides know that there will be no second chances if they lose Friday’s knockout match.
Meghalaya will aim to script a new chapter in their Santosh Trophy journey by overcoming the formidable Services in this high-stakes quarterfinal clash. With their recent defensive solidity and newfound momentum, the team will look to turn past heartbreaks into inspiration. However, Services’ rich history and experience in pressure games will ensure a stern test for Coach Hering Shangpliang’s side. As the clock ticks down to Friday, fans can expect an enthralling battle under the Hyderabad lights, where only one team will emerge a step closer to the coveted title.
