AIFF Media Team
NARAINPUR, CHHATTISGARH:Â Karnataka beat Uttar Pradesh 4-0 to emerge as Group C toppers and qualify for the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s NFC quarter-finals at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground in Narainpur on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
With three wins in three games, scoring 18 goals and conceding only one, it was plain sailing for Karnataka in the group stage. They will meet Group E winners West Bengal in the quarter-final on April 19 at 07:30 IST.
Uttar Pradesh 0
lost to
Karnataka 4 (Mir Mohamed Abies Raza 40′, Nithin Paul 42′, 81′, B Jayasurya 71′)
Karnataka struck twice in quick succession in the 40th and 42nd minute to leave Uttar Pradesh stunned. First, Mir Mohamed Abies Raza got in behind the defence after getting on the end of a brilliant outside-the-boot long ball from Ishaan Raghunanda and slotted it into the bottom corner. Immediately after, Raghunanda got his second assist from a corner as Nithin Paul headed in his delivery.
Paul turned provider in the second half as he went on a solo run before setting up B Jayasurya near the edge of the box, who lashed in a first-time effort. Raghunanda completed his hat-trick of assists in the 81st minute to wrap things up. He drilled a square ball from the right into the box for Paul to finish from close range.
Jharkhand 7 (Ajay Hansdak 11′, 61′, Bivan Jyoti Laskar 35′, 44′, 73′, Zonunpuia 36′, 40′ p)
beat
Ladakh 1 (Abid Ali 54′)
In the evening’s dead-rubber clash with both teams out of the running for a place in the knockout stage, Jharkhand put seven past Ladakh to finish the group in second place. Bivan Jyoti Laskar netted a hat-trick, while Ajay Hansdak and Zonunpuia scored a brace each. The latter was also sent off in the 41st minute, meaning that Jharkhand played more than a half with 10 men. However, the result was already beyond doubt by then. Ladakh added a consolation goal via Abid Ali in the 54th minute.
