WIFA - The Western India Football Association

Maharashtra virtually assured of place in the semi-finals.

Prolific scorer Shahbaz Pathan hogged the limelight by scoring the all-important winning goal in 10-man Maharashtra’s superb 1-0 win against last year’s runners-up Mizoram in a Group-B league match of the 70^thNational Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy played at the SEC Railway Stadium, Nagpur, on Friday. 

After a barren first session, Pathan, the livewire of the Maharashtra attack hit the back of the net in the 66^th minute to clinch a decisive win for the westerners. Pathan was declared the ‘Man-of-the-match’.

Mahrashtra played the second half with a man short as goalkeeper Owais Khan, who deliberately handled the ball outside his area, was given a direct red card in the first additional minute of the first half.

This was the third successive win for Maharashtra, who are now virtually assured of a place in the semi-final from this group. Maharashtra, have a match in hand against Services on Sunday. For Mizoram this was their first defeat after they shared honors with Railways in the earlier round.