MARGAO
Goa suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat to Chhattisgarh in the 30th Senior Women’s National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy (2025-26 Final Round) at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground, Chhattisgarh, on Friday.
The highlight of the day was a stunning brace by substitute Devika Yadav, who turned the game on its head in the final ten minutes.
Goa dominated early possession but struggled to carve out clear chances in the opening 20 minutes. A shift in strategy soon paid off, and in the 28th minute, Karishma Shirvoikar broke the deadlock with a powerful strike that smashed into the back of the net.
Buoyed by the lead, Goa launched wave after wave of attack, but forwards Simran and Shirvoikar squandered golden opportunities to extend the advantage.
At halftime, Goa led 1-0 and looked the more composed side, keeping Chhattisgarh’s forwards at bay while controlling the midfield.
However, the game changed in the second half. In the 80th minute, a costly misjudgment from Goa goalkeeper Riya Rajesh allowed Devika to head home the equaliser after a routine cross caused chaos in the box.
Riya was soon replaced by Anisha Gadekar, but Goa’s defensive frailties continued.
In stoppage time (90+5 minutes), Devika once again capitalised on a defensive lapse, smashing in the winner on the rebound after a looping ball struck the post and fell kindly for her to finish into the roof of the net.
Goa head coach Alfredo Fernandes expressed his disappointment post-match: “We took the lead and were in control, but dropped back too much in the second half and conceded from two lapses. It was a balanced game. We should have taken all three points.”
He added, “We didn’t achieve the result we wanted. Injuries have affected our rhythm, but we need to regroup and improve in the upcoming games.”
