Shillong, September 11: Meghalaya’s Under-17 boys’ football team narrowly lost to Manipur in a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time during the final of the Subroto Cup in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The 70-minute match saw Manipur dominate the early stages, with the opening goal coming in the 31st minute from a well-executed corner. Meghalaya, however, made a strong comeback in the second half, equalizing with a penalty in the 69th minute.
With no extra time played after the 1-1 stalemate, the game proceeded directly to penalties.
Meghalaya team missed their first two attempts but found hope as Manipur also missed two of their own, leveling the score at 3-3.
However, in the sudden death round, Manipur capitalized on their chance, scoring while Meghalaya missed the crucial spot-kick, handing Manipur a 4-3 victory.
Despite the loss, the Meghalaya Under-17 team represented by Mynken Christian Higher Secondary School from Ri Bhoi had an outstanding tournament.
They recorded dominant victories, including a stunning 23-0 win over Daman and Diu, a 5-0 victory against Bihar, a 3-1 win against CISCE in the quarterfinals, and a commanding 7-0 performance against Arunachal Pradesh in the semifinals.
