MARGAO
In an exhilarating clash at the St Alex Church Ground in Curtorim, host team Batora United secured their place in the semifinals of the 9-a-side football tournament organized by Batora United. The match, held on Sunday, saw Batora United edge out Eklate FC 6-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout.
The game commenced at a high tempo with both teams aggressively seeking the opening goal. Batora United took the lead in the 10th minute thanks to a goal from Edmon Dias, followed by Japal doubling the advantage in the 15th minute. Eklate FC responded strongly, levelling the score with goals from Aliston in the 20th minute and Afileo in the 30th minute, bringing the score to 2-2 at halftime.
The second half continued with both sides pushing for a decisive goal, but neither team could break the deadlock, and the score remained 2-2 at the end of regular time. This led to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
In the shootout, Batora United triumphed with successful penalties from Shown, Grandvill, Johnny, and Edmon Dias. Eklate FC managed to score through Joy and Aliston but fell short in the final tally. Businessman Bruno Lourenco presented the Man of the Match award to Caitano for his outstanding performance in the game.
