Odisha and Delhi earned the last two quarterfinal berths of the Santosh Trophy Senior National Football Championship at Deccan Arena here on Tuesday.
Last season’s runners-up Goa and Tamil Nadu were eliminated.
Kerala, which drew 1-1 with Tamil Nadu, was already assured of finishing at the top of the table after winning its first four matches. The 2021-22 champion will meet Jammu & Kashmir in the quarterfinal at 14:30 on December 27.
Tamil Nadu finished at the bottom of Group B with three points. Odisha’s draw with Meghalaya in the morning was enough to qualify as the fourth-placed team from the group with five points, as Tamil Nadu and Goa failed to win their matches. Odisha will meet Group A winner West Bengal in the first quarterfinal at 14:30 on December 26.
Meghalaya finished in second place with eight points and will face defending champion Services at 19:30 on December 27. Goa could only manage fifth place with five points after being held goalless by Delhi in the last match of the day, Delhi qualified in third place with seven points, and will take on Manipur at 19:30 on December 26.
In the Kerala-TN match, Nijo Gilbert, fresh off a stellar performance where he assisted every goal in Kerala’s last match against Delhi, once again emerged as the saviour for his team. Gilbert’s 89th-minute strike salvaged a point for Kerala, maintaining its unbeaten run in the tournament and eliminating Tamil Nadu from the tournament without a win.
It was Tamil Nadu which started aggressively, pressing forward with vigour and determination. This high-energy approach paid off in the 25th minute when Alexander Romario Jesuraj unleashed a fierce shot that rocketed into the top corner, giving Tamil Nadu a well-deserved lead.
The results:
Kerala 1 (Nijo Gilbert 89) drew with TN 1 (Alexander Romario Jesuraj 25).
Odisha drew with Meghalaya 0-0.
Delhi drew with Goa 0-0.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com