GUWAHATI: At the 77th National Football Championship, Assam hit a rough patch. They were beaten 0-2 by Services during a Group A match at the Golden Jubilee Stadium. The game took place on February 28 in Yupia, Itanagar. Right from the start, Assam had a tough time. Players Dipu Mirdha and Joydeep Gogoi were both sent off after getting two yellow cards each.
Services pulled ahead when Thingnam Bidhyasagar Singh scored in the 44th minute. P Christopher Kamei then made the gap wider with a goal in the 50th minute. No matter how hard Assam tried, they couldn't make up the deficit. Services continued to lead.
The game heated up when two more players were shown yellow cards. These were Rahul Ramakrishnan of Services in the 77th minute and Aman Chetri of Assam in the 90+5th minute. Now, Assam has a tough game ahead. They play Goa on March 1 and must win to move on to the quarterfinals. The game against Goa won't be easy. However, Assam has been known to surprise the big teams, and their coach, Subam Rabha, will motivate them for the win.
Assam's fate could also be decided by another game. If Kerala loses to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam could still get to the quarterfinals. Looking back, Assam has shown promise. They beat the host team, Arunachal Pradesh, 2-0 on February 25 and outperformed Meghalaya 2-1 on February 23. Their journey began with a loss, though, with Kerala defeating them 1-3.
The Santosh Trophy approaches its final rounds. 12 teams prepare to face off. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services, and Kerala form Group A. Group B is made up of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram, and Railways. After these matches, the quarterfinals are on March 4. Semi-finals will follow on March 7. The crown match, the final, is on March 9. Tension is high. Assam is on edge, aiming for the quarterfinals. Their Santosh Trophy aspiration hangs in the balance.
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