Lenlai FC retain Zomi Nam Ni Football Tournament title
Source: The Sangai Express

CCpur, February 17 2018: The ingredients were familiar, an early goal; a frenzied rally; a gruelling stretch of game and a crushing finish.

Familiar, too, was the result: Lenlai FC defeated Lamka SC in the Zomi Nam Ni Football Tournament 2018 final played this afternoon at Lamka Football Ground, Hiangtam Lamka.

Lenlai FC won their second and continuous ZNN trophy, a record for the tournament which is in its fourth edition.

For all the similarities to the 2015 final, though, this match at the iconic ground was supplemented with a new gallery and converted into a mini-stadium.

Lenlai FC retain Zomi Nam Ni Football Tournament title

In today's final, the winning goal arrived early.

Lenlai's Pauginmuan (5) brilliantly curled the ball around Hiangtam Lamka's wall in the 20th minute to take the 1-0 lead.

After the goal, Lamka FC sprung to life and attacked their opponents' goal to the point of exhaustion.

They tried long balls, short ball, crosses, dribbles into the box and everything in between but Lenlai survived.

For all their effort, Lamka SC struggled to maintain any meaningful hold on the ball and Lenlai cruised to a simple 1-0 victory to eventually lift for the second time, Churachandpur's most rewarding tournament.

They are now richer by Rs 1,50,000 while the Lamka SC walked away with Rs 80,000 and the runners-up trophy.

Prior to the match that was stacked with football fans on all side of the newly inaugurated gallery, LM Khaute the Director General of Police along with the Additional DGP, T Guite and other dignitaries addressed a formal closing ceremony of the tournament that was jointly organised by the CDSA and the Zomi Nam Ni Sports Committee.

The month long tournament saw 16 teams competing for the coveted trophy in 31 matches with 108 goals scored at an average of 3.5 per match.

The tournament witnessed some young talents coming to the limelight with Thangmuanlal from Happy Feet Football Academy having scored a double hattrick and took to his credit 9 goal in 4 matches.

He was the tournament's top scorer as well.

Lenlai's Lalsiem was bestowed with player of the tournament award and Lamka SC custodian conferred the Safe Hand Award.

Molnom FC was adjudged the most courteous team and awarded with the Fair Play award.