Manipur denied fifth straight win, but qualify for Santosh Trophy final rounds
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 31 2023:
Manipur were narrowly denied a fifth straight win by Punjab in their last Group VI match as the 76th Santosh Trophy at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium on Tuesday.
The hosts lost 0-1 to their opponents.
Manipur were just one point adrift of Group VI winners Punjab after the end of the first round of the senior national football competition.
Parmjit Singh was the hero for Punjab as his 12th minute goal from the spot sealed the win and helped his side end their first campaign atop the Group VI table with 13 points from five games.
Despite their defeat, Manipur qualified for the final rounds which have 12 teams split into two groups of six.
The state team are placed in Group B along with Delhi, Meghalaya, Railways, Services and West Bengal, while Group A consists of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Punjab.
The final rounds will be played in Odisha from February 10-20, while the semifinals, third-place playoff and the final of the tournament will be played in Saudi Arabia.
Manipur will start their final round campaign against Railways on February 11, followed by matches against Meghalaya on February 13, West Bengal on February 15, Services on February 18 and Delhi on February 20 .