Manipur emerged as the champions in football after they defeat Mizoram 2-1 in a nail-biting final played at the NAPTC stadium on March 23. (Morung Photo)
Nagaland come third place after beating Arunachal Pradesh 4-2
Morung Express News
Chümoukedima | March 23
It was a dramatic finish to a match filled with euphoria, frustration, excitement and heartbreak as football powerhouses, Manipur and Mizoram went head to head in the finals of the Northeast Games 2024 at the NAPTC stadium, Chümoukedima on March 23.
In their previous encounter of this competition, Mizoram had soundly beaten Manipur 4-0 during the group stages on March 19.
Clad in their distinct orange and black jersey, the Manipur team came on the field to reverse their fortunes on Saturday as the two sides faced each other in a stadium filled with passionate supporters.
In the first half of the match, Mizoram with the traditional 4-4-2 formation had more control of the ball thanks to their stellar mid-field. Just a little after the 40th minute Mizoram’s Malsawmkima (#77) scored the first goal after his shot gets deflected off the back of one of the Manipur players right into the net. The crowd seemed to come alive after this as the stadium erupts with loud cheers for the Mizo side.
Manipur however were not finished yet as they relentlessly went on the attack in the second half. There was an unspoken tense atmosphere in the match as though a lot more was at stake beyond just football, with both teams having their supporters placed on opposite sides of the field.
With 30 minutes remaining in the clock, Manipur seemed to burst with renewed vigour propelled by their desire to equalize before all hope was lost. Their persistency would pay off finally in the 75th minute thanks in part to a corner kick landing right on top of Subash Singh (#17) to score for his side, making it 1-1. Mizoram appeared to be on the back foot for the rest of the second-half after this as their players seemed to have run out of steam.
Manipur on the other hand continued with their assault, prying open the defenses and quite expectantly, Sanathoi Meetei (#18) would give the answer by scoring in the 88th minute. The match would end in 2-1 victory for Manipur who had vindicated themselves for their first loss to Mizoram. Although it could be said that Mizoram were the more ‘technically sound’ team, Manipur played with ‘heart’ and passion which proved to be the answer in final closing minutes.
Meanwhile, in the earlier match played between Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for third place, Nagaland beat their opponent 4-2.
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