Odisha enjoyed a comfortable victory on the opening day of the Group F qualifiers in the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy, defeating Madhya Pradesh 6-1 at the GNDU Sports Complex on Thursday. They held a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime. Group F comprises three teams, with Chhattisgarh being the third.
Odisha quickly took control of the match, scoring in the 11th minute when Arbin Lakra tapped in a cross from the right. They doubled their lead in the 26th minute as striker Roshan Panna skillfully navigated through the defense to score past goalkeeper Salamuddin Khan.
The first half saw two additional goals; Jitu Muduli converted a cross from Arbin Lakra in the 37th minute, and Kartik Hantal netted the fourth during first-half stoppage time.
Hantal found the goal again in the 64th minute of the second half, followed by Shubham Mane scoring for Madhya Pradesh. Substitute Rahul Mukhi completed Odisha’s tally with a penalty in the final moments of the match.