PASIGHAT, Sep 22: Defending champion Manipur and the Railways will meet in the summit clash of the 25th Senior Women’s National Football Championship (SWNFC) on 24 September.
Manipur, who have won the championship title 20 times since its introduction in 1991-92, stormed into the final, defeating Tamil Nadu 5-0 at the College of Horticulture & Forestry playground here in East Siang district on Sunday.
Manipur took the lead 10 minutes into the play with a goal from Captain Bala Devi. H Daya Devi netted the second goal in the 14th minute, before Irom Prameshwari Devi made it 3-0 in the 35th minute. H Daya Devi scored the fourth goal for Manipur in the 39th minute. She scored the team’s fifth and her third goal in the 84th minute.
The Railways beat Odisha 3-1 in the first semifinal.
Y Kamala Devi of the Railways scored a brace in the 10th and the 60th minute, while Mamta netted the third goal in the 23rd minute.
The lone goal for Odisha was scored by Jasoda Munda, two minutes before the final hooter.
Railways striker Kamala Devi and Manipur’s Bala Devi have been in top form in the tournament, having scored 20 goals each in five matches.
Daya Devi, Kamala’s Manipur teammate, stands third in the list of top goal scorers with nine goals in four matches.
The Railways have won the championship title once, in 2015-16, beating Manipur 4-3 via penalty shootout.
Manipur have reached the final of every edition of the SWNFC, except in 2011.
