MARGAO
Pyari Xaxa scored a stunning hat-trick to lead Odisha to a commanding 4-2 victory over Goa in the 30th Senior Women’s National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy 2025“26, held at the RKM Ashrama Ground on Sunday.
The defeat marks Goa’s second consecutive loss, effectively ending their campaign, with just one point from three matches.
Odisha came out with intent and dominated from the outset, pressing high and creating multiple scoring chances. Xaxa opened the scoring in the 15th minute and doubled the lead just a minute later with a quick second. She then completed her first-half hat-trick in added time (90+5’) with a powerful strike from outside the box.
Satyabati Khadia also got on the scoresheet in the 35th minute, putting Odisha 4-0 up before halftime and all but sealing the result.
Goa managed to reduce the margin in the second half through Karishma Shirvoikar, who scored a brace with goals in the 56th and 64th minutes. Despite her efforts, Goa couldn't recover from their poor first-half showing.
Goa head coach Alfredo Fernandes expressed disappointment following the loss.
“Clearly, it’s a huge disappointment to lose to Odisha, especially after the first half where we allowed them to dictate play,” Fernandes said. “We lacked intensity, precise passing, and the ability to win the ball back quickly.”
He acknowledged a slight improvement in the second half but pointed to technical errors, rushed attacks, and a failure to use the wings effectively.
“This result is a real blow to our campaign. We didn’t stick to our game plan or perform at a level that would have earned us a win,” he concluded.
