Shillong, May 25: Meghalaya’s run in the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s National Football Championship 2025 came to a sudden end after they lost 4-0 to Mizoram in the second semifinal in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on Sunday.
Both sides had won all of their previous matches but it had been more than two weeks since Meghalaya were last seen in action.
As the league is staggered, with only two groups active at any one time, once Meghalaya won their quarterfinal they had to wait until the final two sets of group matches and the fourth and last quarterfinal took place.
While Meghalaya had last played on 9 May, Mizoram had won their quarterfinal against Punjab only on Friday and thus had plenty of momentum coming into today’s contest.
Meghalaya coach Bobby L Nongbet fielded a full strength side but they were overcome by Mizoram, who scored through Mesak C Lalrinngheta (28’, 76’), Dantes K Lalhriatpuia (83’) and F Vanlalchhanchhuaha (90’+2).
Despite falling in the semis, this year saw a major improvement compared to the 2024 campaign when Meghalaya had been unable to progress past the group stage.
The 2025 edition saw them defeat Rajasthan 4-0, Kerala 2-1 and Bihar 7-0 in the group stage before pipping Karnataka 1-0 in the quarters. Meanwhile, Mizoram will now take on Delhi in the final.
Delhi had beaten Sports Authority of India 4-0 in the first semifinal on Sunday morning.
Although Meghalaya’s campaign ended in disappointment, the young squad can hold their heads high after a spirited run to the semifinals — a significant leap from last year’s early exit. Their dominant group stage performances and gritty quarterfinal win reflect the growing strength and promise of youth football in the state. With valuable experience under their belts and a taste of high-pressure knockout football, this generation of players has laid a strong foundation for the future.
