Shillong, Nov 16: Hosts Meghalaya will take on Mizoram in a highly-anticipated U-21 men’s football final at Third Ground, MFA Turf, here on Wednesday, the last day of the 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022.
The match will begin at 1PM. Entry is free but seating is limited. A large number of fans came to support the Meghalaya boys in the semifinal on Sunday, so the advice is to get to the venue early if you want a seat. The match will also be streamed live as well as shown on a giant screen in Second Ground too.
Many of the same players who will be play in this match were involved in the Junior National Football Championship for the Dr BC Roy Trophy semifinal in February 2020, a contest that Mizoram won 1-0.
In this contest, Mizoram were in Group 1 and started with a 6-0 win against Assam before beating Manipur 1-0. They then met Nagaland in the semis and won 3-1.
Meghalaya, meanwhile, registered a 6-1 victory over Sikkim in their first match in Group 2 before blanking Arunachal Pradesh 6-0 and then beating Nagaland 2-1. In the last-four stage, the hosts played some of their best football yet to cruise past Manipur 3-0.
At 9AM today, the U-17 women’s final will take place between Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh at the same ground.
Manipur, with several India U-17 players, will start as clear favourites. They beat Assam and Sikkim by identical 6-0 margins in Group 1 before battling past Mizoram 2-0.
Arunachal, for their part, beat Mizoram and then forced Meghalaya’s exit, with both games ending 3-1. Arunachal also trounced Sikkim 5-1 in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, yesterday saw the bronze medal matches in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Manipur were involved in an intense battle with Nagaland in the men’s third place contest (pictured) and came through 4-3 winners.
In the corresponding women’s match, Mizoram overpowered Sikkim 3-1.
Manipur scored through S Doungel (6′, 62′), M Simte (33′), N Binode Kumar Singh (54′), while Nagaland’s scorers were Vhoto (12′), Thulunso (51′), Neisede (90’+1).
Later, all four goals were scored in the first half itself, with Lalrinmawii (10′, 45’+1) picking up a brace, while Gladys added another for Mizoram. Simran Gurung was Sikkim’s lone goal scorer.
(DIPR photo)
