Chennaiyin FC hand Borussia Dortmund startling defeat in Norwich City Mina Cup UK 2024

The Marina Machans outsmarted the German titans as well as Bermuda FA in the U-12 tournament.

Chennaiyin FC’s under-12 team handed a stunning 4-2 defeat to European heavyweights Borussia Dortmund at the Norwich City Mina Cup UK, showcasing glimpses of Indian football’s promising potential on a global stage.

The prestigious tournament played on Saturday and Sunday at Norwich City FC’s state-of-the-art training facility in England, saw impressive performances from Chennaiyin FC’s youth squad, the only club from India to compete.

Having recently reached the UEFA Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund is one of the world’s top clubs, known for its renowned academy system that has produced the likes of USA star Christian Pulisic and FIFA World Cup winner Mario Gotze. On Sunday, Chennaiyin outclassed Borussia Dortmund’s youth side 4-2, courtesy of a sensational four-goal display from Manipur-born attacker Nepolian Laikhuram.

Nepolian also finished the tournament as Chennaiyin’s top scorer with six goals, which includes a brace against Bermuda FA. Rohit Tenshubam and Hitaansh Dipesh were the other scorers for Chennaiyin.

“We are thrilled with the grit and determination of our young stars at the Norwich City Mina Cup UK. There were losses but they took them well, and then a win against Borussia Dortmund on day two! It truly highlighted the potential of Indian football on an international stage. The tournament was an incredible development opportunity for our players. We thank our partners Norwich City FC for this invaluable experience and look forward to continuing this association,” commented Chennaiyin FC Vice President Ekansh Gupta.

Chennaiyin qualified for the Silver Cup following the group stage, wherein they had closely fought battles during their losses against Inter Milan (0-1) and Liverpool (0-2). They beat Bermuda FA 2-0 in the Silver Cup group stage before defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-2 and Bermuda again 2-0 in the placement matches.

The Marina Machans finished their campaign by gaining substantial development and invaluable international exposure over two action-packed days.

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