RIYADH: Karnataka take on Meghalaya in the final of the 76th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at the King Fahd International Stadium here on Saturday in what is virtually a clash of two first-timers. Karnataka have last won the Santosh Trophy in 1968-69 and this is the first time they have reached the final in nearly five decades.
Meghalaya are in their maiden final. Having never made it to the semifinals previously, the state from the NorthEast has exceeded expectations by coming so far.
So, expect the unexpected in the first final on foreign soil for the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy.
Both teams have come up with some great performances in the tournament so far as they have overcome some tricky hurdles to make it to the summit clash of the prestigious tournament.
While Meghalaya have depended on the mystical flair and attacking style of the NorthEastern side to overcome strong opponents like 32-time champions West Bengal, neighbours Manipur and a strong Railways side in the process.
Their lone defeat in the tournament so far came against Services as they finished second in Group B in the second round and qualify for the semifinals for the first time after topping their pool ahead of Delhi in the preliminary group stage.
Karnataka, on the other hand, had to overcome tougher hurdles to make it this far. Their performance grew with each match as they qualified as one of the three best second-place finishers in the first round of the tournament being in a new format in which all 36 teams from states and Union Territories figured in the first round. There were six teams in each group in the first round.
It’s a historic moment when the final of the National Football Championships will be played on foreign soil. Karnataka and Meghalaya will be hoping to make their own piece of history — by adding their own lustre to the prestigious trophy. IANS
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