Swami Vivekananda U-20 NFC: Karnataka edge past West Bengal, reach semis

Karnataka forward Saikhom Borish Singh scored his fifth goal of the tournament in this clash.

In the first quarter-final match of the inaugural Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s National Football Championship 2024, in-form Karnataka earned the semi-final berth, defeating West Bengal 1-0 at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, on Friday, April 19, 2024. 

Prolific striker Saikhom Borish Singh netted the all-important goal of the match in the 31st minute, his fifth of the championship.

The winners have been in good form from the start of the championship. Karnataka finished atop Group C with nine points from three matches, winning all three against Jharkhand (3-1), Ladakh (11-0), and Uttar Pradesh (4-0) by big margins. On the other hand, West Bengal made the last eight from Group E with seven points from three matches. 

Karnataka had been bountiful in front of goal throughout the championship, tallying 19 goals. West Bengal drew with Tamil Nadu (1-1) before winning against Punjab (5-1) and Uttarakhand (3-0). 

The upcoming phase two of the championship begins on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Four teams from both Group A and Group H will compete, with the winners of each group advancing to the second quarter-final scheduled for April 28, 2024.

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