Shillong, Jul 21: The semifinals of the Shillong Sports Association’s Women’s League 2023 will take place on Saturday at the SSA Stadium at First Ground, Polo.
The best four teams to emerge from what has been an enthralling group stage are defending champions Mawlai SC, 2022’s runners-up Laitkor SC, Lumparing SC and PFR Football Academy.
Tickets to the matches will be available at the venue.
Group A toppers Laitkor SC will face Group B runners-up Lumparing SC at 2PM, followed by Group B winners and defending champions Mawlai SC going up against Group A runners-up PFR Academy at 4PM.
Mawlai and Laitkor have carried their fine form from last year into the second edition of the Women’s League but all the other 10 teams have shown improvement since the 2023 tournament began on 19th June.
This especially applies to Lumparing, who are largely made up of teenagers and who have been unbeaten in five matches. Their highlight was the fighting 3-3 draw with Mawlai in their last group fixture one week ago and they could well make things uncomfortable for Laitkor in the knockout round.
Laitkor, meanwhile, are the only team to have a perfect winning record this season, triumphing in all five group games while conceding only one goal along the way.
That one goal went to PFR but Laitkor still came away as 3-1 winners. That was also PFR’s first loss this season and they will hope that it will remain the only one. But Mawlai will be a huge challenge to overcome even if PFR have some experienced players they signed from the defending champions prior to the tournament.
(Shillong Sports Association photos)