Santosh Trophy: Karnataka come from two down to rescue a point against Mizoram

In an exhilarating match at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh, defending champions Karnataka fought back from being two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Mizoram in Group B of the 77th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy final round. Mizoram had taken the lead with goals from MS Dawngliana and MC Malsawmzuala, only for Karnataka to show their champion spirit with goals from Prabin Tigga and Vishal R to rescue a point. This was Karnataka’s second consecutive draw after a 1-1 result against Delhi.

Mizoram, who had been beaten 1-3 by Maharashtra in their opener, opened the scoring with a fantastic combination play between Malsawmzuala and Dawngliana. Despite a brilliant behind-the-back flick from Malsawmzuala setting up Dawngliana for the goal, Karnataka’s R Malsawmtluanga denied D Sheltohn Paul from equalizing with a crucial goal-line block. Mizoram then extended their lead in the second half through Malsawmzuala, but Karnataka responded strongly with goals from Tigga and Vishal R within two minutes.

The match saw both teams pushing for a winner in the closing stages, with Karnataka’s solid defending led by captain Manoj Swamy Kannan and Prashanth Kalinga keeping Mizoram at bay. Karnataka came close to snatching victory through Nikhil and BS Mrinal Muthanna’s combination play, but the former’s effort narrowly missed the target. Despite the thrilling contest, both teams had to settle for a share of the points.

Overall, the match showcased the resilience and determination of both Karnataka and Mizoram, setting the stage for more exciting encounters in the ongoing 77th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy.