Kalinga Super Cup 2025: FC Goa's road to final

The Gaurs are on the verge of winning their second Kalinga Super Cup.

Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa have enjoyed a unique bounce-back season after their unceremonious end to their playoffs. The Gaurs fell short in the ISL playoffs semifinals as Bengaluru FC came from behind to walk out 2-3 winners on aggregate.

However, Manolo Marquez’s men have one final opportunity to win some silverware this season, when they play the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 Final in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

Let us look at how FC Goa made it to the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 Final this season:

FC Goa started their Kalinga Super Cup campaign with a bang

The Gaurs opened their campaign with a tricky round of 16 fixture against I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC. The Malabarians were impressive in the recently concluded I-League season and were always fighting uphill against FC Goa.

While Gokulam were expected to be a tricky outfit, Manolo Marquez and his men had a relatively easy first game as they walked out 3-0 winners. A hat-trick of goals from the Gaurs striker Iker Guarrotxena was enough to help his side into the quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup.

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A close shave against the Shers in the quarterfinals

After successfully getting past Gokulam Kerala FC, the Gaurs set up a meeting against Punjab FC in the quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup. While Punjab were not the favourites to progress from their round of 16 game against Goa, they were a real step-up in challenge as compared to Gokulam.

The two teams had met each other during the 2024-25 ISL regular season, but it was the Gaurs who completed the league double over the Shers. The quarterfinals game did not follow the same script as it was a nervy game and came down to the wire for the Gaurs. Late second-half goals from Borja Herrera and Mohammed Yasir helped them book a place in the Kalinga Super Cup semifinals.

Ending Mohun Bagan’s domestic treble hopes

The close win over the Shers helped Manolo Marquez’s men set up a must-win encounter against the reigning defending ISL champions, Mohun Bagan. While the Mariners had a relatively young squad that was inexperienced, they had impressed in their quarterfinals encounter against Kerala Blasters FC. The Gaurs were always the favourites to win their encounter, but recent results favoured a Mohun Bagan win was on the cards.

But the story in the Kalinga Super Cup semifinals was different as FC Goa walked out 1-3 winners courtesy of goals from Brison Fernandes, Iker Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera. The game was largely dominated by FC Goa as the Mariners’ inexperience and lack of ability to convert chances hurt them and ended their dreams of a domestic treble.

As the dust has now settled, FC Goa now find themselves in with a chance of winning their second Kalinga Super Cup title in 2025. However, they will be facing a Jamshedpur FC side led by Khalid Jamil, who are determined to end their season with a Super Cup title.

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