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Services clinched the Santosh Trophy for the seventh time by defeating Goa 1-0 in the 77th National Football Championship at the Golden Jubilee Stadium on Saturday.
The stadium witnessed more than 15,000 passionate people creating a thrilling atmosphere. The game saw plenty of chances at both ends, but to break the deadlock, Services' Shafeel PP produced a remarkable strike to seal the game. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey and members of the AIFF were present. The beginning of the game saw goalkeepers from both sides keeping their turf intact amid efforts by forwards to take lead. Despite early chances falling in favour of both teams, it was Goa who finished the first half stronger. Faheez's cross from the right flank was met with a first-time shot from Necio Fernandes, but the shot went straight to the keeper. The Services goalkeeper was called into action again at the brink of half-time, forcing the keeper to make a strong save to keep the scoreline 0-0. In the second half, the tide started to turn in favour of Services as they continued to create chances to break the deadlock, a release said. With their quality of play, Services inched closer towards finding the goal. Shafeel's moment of magic came in the 67th minute when he received the ball around the 25-yard mark and struck the ball sweetly to find the back of the net. Services managed to hold onto their lead and see off the game. Ahead of match, Kalyan Chaubey said it has been special to host the 77th NFC for Santosh Trophy final round in Arunachal Pradesh. "We hosted the 76th edition of the Santosh Trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last year, in international stadiums, and with VAR technology. That set the standard. Now, I am happy to say that Arunachal Pradesh has very much upheld that standard. The deafening chants here in Arunachal Pradesh are being echoed across the world through FIFA+," he added. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister thanked AIFF for holding the event in the state. "Seeing so many football fans here, I am convinced that Itanagar deserves an even bigger football stadium, which we will dedicate to all the fans here," he said, according to the release. (ANI)
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