Santosh Trophy 2025–26: Group A drama continues in Assam

Uttarakhand and Assam Register First Wins in Group A

The Group A of the 79th Santosh Trophy 2025–26 continued to deliver competitive and engaging football as Uttarakhand and hosts Assam opened their accounts with crucial victories. Played across Dhakuakhana and Silapathar in Assam, the latest round of matches saw shifting dynamics in the group standings, with every point becoming vital in the race for the knockout stages.

West Bengal 1-1 Tamil Nadu

Title holders West Bengal were forced to come from behind for the first time in the tournament as they were held to a 1–1 draw by a spirited Tamil Nadu side. After a tight and cautious first half where both teams struggled to create clear chances, Tamil Nadu struck in style in the 61st minute. A swift counterattack saw Karthick Thirumalai carry the ball into the box before it rolled out to Nandha Kumar Ananthraj, who unleashed a stunning right-footed strike that flew into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Gourab Shaw with no chance.

The goal sparked a stronger response from West Bengal, who began to push higher up the pitch in search of an equaliser. Their pressure finally paid off in the 81st minute when Sayan Banerjee was fouled on the right, leading to a dangerous free-kick. Substitute Bijay Murmur’s low effort caused confusion in the Tamil Nadu defence, and Sujit Sadhu reacted quickest to head home from close range, making amends at both ends of the pitch. The closing minutes saw both sides battle hard but without further clear opportunities, as the contest ended level, with each team taking a well-earned point.

Uttarakhand 2-1 Nagaland

Uttarakhand showed character and composure as they came from behind to defeat Nagaland 2–1 at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium in Assam. Nagaland struck early through skipper Laiwang Bohham, who headed home in the 8th minute after a well-worked move down the right. The opening half saw both teams exchange neat passing moves and test each other’s defensive shape, with Nagaland carrying their slim advantage into the break.

The second half, however, belonged to Uttarakhand. Adjusting their approach, they began to dominate the midfield and put Nagaland under sustained pressure. The equaliser arrived in the 55th minute when Ajendra Singh nodded in from close range, before Nirmal Singh Bisht struck just two minutes later, controlling the ball well and firing home his third goal of the tournament. Uttarakhand then shut up shop at the back, managing the game smartly to secure all three points and keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.

Rajasthan 0-3 Assam

Hosts Assam produced a commanding performance to register their first win of the Final Round, defeating Rajasthan 3–0 at the Dhakuakhana Football Stadium. From the opening whistle, Assam looked in control and turned their dominance into a breakthrough in the 33rd minute. After Rajasthan initially cleared Pranjal Bhumij’s corner, the ball fell kindly for Assam, and following a couple of blocked efforts, Pragyan Gogoi reacted quickest to finish from close range.

Assam carried the momentum forward and doubled their lead before the break, with Bhumij himself capping off a slick one-two move on the right to score in the 43rd minute. The hosts sealed the result in the 65th minute when Akrang Narzary pounced on a rebound after Sudeepta Konwar’s shot was saved, sparking celebrations among the home crowd. The convincing win lifted Assam’s confidence and kept them firmly in the hunt in Group A.

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