FC Goa decisively defeated Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 to advance to the final of the Kalinga Super Cup on April 30, 2025. The teams were tied 1-1 at halftime. Goals from Brison Fernandes (20’), Iker Guarrotxena (51’ penalty), and Borja Herrera (58’) secured a comfortable victory for Manolo Márquez’s team over Bastab Roy’s young squad.
Goa, the champions in 2019, will face Jamshedpur FC in the final on Saturday.
The match started with an intense pace, as Goa continuously pressured Mohun Bagan’s defence. Their high pressing and quick style of play kept the Mariners’ midfield out of position and disjointed. Goa also showcased unpredictability during set pieces. In the 20th minute, Brison Fernandes took advantage of this unpredictability to score the opener. From an improvised corner routine, Borja Herrera curled a perfect cross into the danger zone, allowing Brison to glance the ball into the far corner.
However, Goa’s lead lasted only two minutes, as Mohun Bagan equalised. Ashique Kuruniyan received a pass along the byline and, with impressive pace and skill, left the marking defender Boris Singh behind. He delivered a low, fizzing cross into the six-yard area, and Suhail Bhat simply tapped it in, replicating his quarter-final goal against Kerala Blasters.
Goa emerged from halftime with renewed energy and desire. Within a minute, Brison’s driving run and precise pass split the midfield, providing Dejan Drazic with a perfect opportunity on the left side of the box, but the Serbian shot wide. Mohun Bagan’s defence seemed to falter, hinting at trouble.
In the 50th minute, while chasing a long ball, an unmarked Drazic was brought down by a reckless challenge from Dheeraj Singh. The referee awarded a penalty, which Iker Guarrotxena confidently converted, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to score.
Dheeraj’s situation worsened seven minutes later when he misjudged a corner delivered by Herrera, which sailed over him and into the net. Herrera’s curling corners consistently posed a threat, and this time, he found the perfect balance between curl and flight to outsmart the goalkeeper.
Although the Mariners seemed defeated, they had a chance to narrow the deficit. Salahudheen broke clear from a long ball by Nuno Reis, rounded the goalkeeper, and faced an open net. However, he took too many touches and shot too late, allowing Goa’s defence to make a heroic block on the line.
From that point on, it was about game management, which Goa executed perfectly. They even came close to adding a fourth goal in the final minutes. Ultimately, they progressed to the final, keeping alive their hopes of a first Asian campaign since 2021 and a second Super Cup title.
Borja Herrera was named the Kalinga Player of the Match and received the award from Mr. Deepankar Mohapatra, IAS, Director of the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha.
