Santosh Trophy 2025–26: West Bengal start Final Round with emphatic win

The 79th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2025-26 Final Round kicked off with a bang in Dhakuakhana and Silapathar, Assam, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, with defending champions West Bengal earning a sizeable 4-0 victory against Nagaland.

The defending champions have thus shot into the lead at the top of the table by virtue of a higher goal difference, as the other two winners of the day, Tamil Nadu (1-0 against hosts Assam) and Rajasthan (3-2 against Uttarakhand), rallied for their respective three points.

West Bengal 4 (Robi Hansda 2’, Sayan Banerjee 32’, Akash Hemram 49’, Aqib Nawab 90’) defeated Nagaland 0

Defending champions West Bengal got the better of Nagaland 4-0 in a Group A match at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium in Dhakuakhana, Assam.

Robi Hansda put the 33-time winners in front in the 2nd minute. Sayan Banerjee made it 2-0 with a similar effort in the 32nd as they took a 2-0 half-time lead. Akash Hemram scored in the 49th, while Aqib Nawad completed the tally in the 90th as they added two more in the second half to emerge fluent winners.

Juweel Ahmed Mazumdar sent a corner from the left into the box, and Robi Hansda, last season’s top scorer, angled his firm header into the centre of the goal in the very second minute. Thereafter, West Bengal’s winger Akash Hemram swung one to the farm post, and Sayan Banerjee rose to bury his header in.

Nagaland almost pulled one back as Laiwang Bohham sent Manton Wangshu away on the left. Manton advanced deeper and let fly a crisp right-footer. But West Bengal goalkeeper Somnath Dutta blocked it. As it rolled into the box, Ghuqhe Chishi blasted it over the bar.

After the change of ends, Bengal struck two more as Robi Hansda sent Akash Hemram away on the right. The winger sprinted in and placed it into the far post. As time ticked away, it was 4-0 as Aqib Nawab ran in as an interception by Ato Chophi resulted in a return pass, and the West Bengal substitute rolled it into the net from close range, just minutes before the final whistle.

Tamil Nadu 1 (Devadath S 3’) defeated Assam 0

Former champions Tamil Nadu began their Santosh Trophy Final Round with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over hosts Assam in Group A at the Silapathar Football Stadium.

Devadath S proved to be the difference between the two sides, scoring the only goal of the match as early as the third minute to give Tamil Nadu a winning start to their campaign.

Tamil Nadu asserted themselves from the opening whistle and caught the hosts cold with a moment of quality. A long ball was chipped over the Assam backline towards Devadath, who brought it under control with excellent composure before curling a right-footed effort into the top-right corner of the net as Assam goalkeeper Satyajit Bordoloi could only watch.

The early setback forced Assam onto the back foot, but the hosts struggled to mount a meaningful response. Tamil Nadu remained organised and confident in possession, limiting Assam’s attacking forays and controlling the tempo of the contest.

Tamil Nadu were presented with a golden opportunity to double their lead in first-half stoppage time when they were awarded a penalty. Right-back R Karthikeyan made a surging run down the flank before being brought down by Rituraj Mohan inside the box. However, M Umasankar failed to convert from the spot, striking the woodwork despite choosing the correct direction.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Tamil Nadu defending resolutely and managing the game smartly. Assam pushed forward in search of an equaliser but were kept at bay by a disciplined Tamil Nadu backline, as the former champions held on to secure all three points and open their Santosh Trophy campaign on a positive note.

Rajasthan 3 (Amit Kumar 1’, Mukesh Kumar 24’, 49’) defeated Uttarakhand 2 (Nirmal Singh Bisht 38’ p, 45+2’)

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan set the ball rolling in the Santosh Trophy with a fighting 3-2 victory over Uttarakhand in a Group A match in Dhakuakhana.

Rajasthan got the tournament to a pulsating start, scoring in the very first minute as Amit Kumar headed home. Skipper Mukesh Kumar then headed in another in the 24th to give them a two-goal cushion. But Uttarakhand fought back to restore parity twice, first through a penalty conversion by Nirmal Singh Bisht in the 38th minute, and then through his right-footed volley in the second minute of added time of the first half.

Mukesh Kumar again produced a superb back header to make it 3-2 in the 49th as they hung on for dear life against a rampaging Uttarakhand to bag all three points.

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