MARGAO
Goa began their campaign in the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men's National Football Championship with a narrow 1-2 defeat against Punjab in a Group H match played at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama on Tuesday.
Goa conceded early after defender Jodric Abranches accidentally turned the ball into his own net in the sixth minute, handing Punjab the advantage. However, the young Goan footballer bounced back strongly and restored parity in the 36th minute with a well-taken equaliser.
The hosts fought hard to stay in the contest, but Punjab eventually found the winner just before the hour mark through Saqlane Sajid.
Despite the defeat, Goa showed resilience after the early setback and created several positive moments during the encounter. Jodric’s recovery from an unfortunate own goal to score Goa’s only goal highlighted the fighting spirit displayed by the home side.
In the other Group H fixture, Maharashtra edged past Assam 1-0 to join Punjab on three points. Goa will now look to bounce back strongly in their upcoming matches and revive their hopes of progressing further in the tournament.
