Millat FC Crowned Champions of MFA Futsal Championship for Second Consecutive Year

by FC March 21, 2025

Defending champions Millat FC triumphed over a 4-men MH Oranje FC in the final, successfully defending their title and earning the crown in the second edition of the MFA Futsal Championship. With this victory, they are set to represent Mumbai on the national stage at the AIFF Futsal Championship.

The narrative of these two finalists resembles a thrilling cinematic sequence. In a group of four teams, every point was precious, and losing an initial match could spell disaster for any campaign.

However, both finalists defied the odds, scripting their own remarkable stories. MH Oranje FC and Millat FC both suffered defeats in their opening matches against Rudra FC and Black Ants JP, respectively.

Millat FC’s Journey to the Final

Millat FC entered the MFA Futsal Championship as the reigning champions, but their path to the final was fraught with challenges. After a surprising defeat against Black Ants JP in their opening match, where they struggled to find their rhythm, the team regrouped and made a powerful statement about why they are champions.

In their second match against Young Guns FC, Millat found themselves down 2-0 within the first ten minutes. However, Keegan Pinto turned the tide with an impressive four-goal performance, leading Millat to a remarkable 7-3 victory. Their third game showcased another high-scoring thriller with a decisive 6-1 win over India Rush SC.

In the Quarter-finals, Millat faced Black Ants JP once again. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation time, leading to penalties. Anas Iske emerged as the hero of the shootout, making two crucial saves to secure a 4-2 victory for Millat in the Penalty Shootout. They continued their momentum into the Semi-Final by defeating Regal Sports Foundation with two quick goals in the second half.

MH Oranje FC: Newcomers to Finalists

This season marked a significant milestone for MH Oranje FC as they made their debut in the MFA Futsal Championship format. Despite being newcomers, they showcased remarkable determination throughout the tournament.

Placed in what many considered another “Group of Death,” familiar to Group A, MH Oranje FC faced an uphill battle. Like Millat FC, they suffered an early setback with a loss to Rudra FC in their first game, which served as a wake-up call for the team.

In their second match against Brothers WA, MH Oranje clinched a dramatic last-minute victory that boosted their confidence. The following match saw them dominate South Mumbai United with an astounding 10-2 scoreline, where Saurabh Sharma and Sahil Bhokare shone brightly combining 9 Goals between themselves only with scoring 5 and 4 goals respectively.

Entering the knockout stage, MH Oranje first faced Black Ants JP, where Nishal Rai scored a sublime hat-trick in a commanding 5-0 quarter-final victory. The semi-final was a thrilling contest; what seemed like an easy win turned into drama as Kartik struck first for MH Oranje inside 3 minutes only to see Samuel FA equalize late just before final whistle by Ritesh. The match went to penalties, where Pratik Jadhav saved the decisive penalty and then scored to secure their place in the final.

Final Showdown: Millat FC vs MH Oranje FC

The finale of the MFA Futsal Championship lived up to expectations as defending champions Millat FC started strong against MH Oranje FC. Just seconds into the match, Sunny Koli executed a beautiful dribble before sliding his pass to Danzel Fernandes, who struck first-time through Kartik Rao’s legs to net the opener within 20 seconds—a setback for MH Oranje FC.

Determined not to falter, MH Oranje regrouped and controlled much of the ball possession. In the 12th minute, Kartik Rao’s half-court strike hit the woodwork. However, they soon equalized right in the next move when Saurabh Sharma finished off a well-crafted move initiated by Kartik Rao and Sahil Bhokare.

Unfortunately for MH Oranje FC, joy was short-lived as they were reduced to four players when Kartik Rao received a red card early in the second half for denying a goal-scoring opportunity outside of the penalty box.

Millat FC didn’t let this opportunity slip away and successfully capitalized on this opportunity; Sunny Koli struck at the 23-minute mark and just one minute later, Danzel scored a stunning solo goal to complete his brace on this grand stage. They sealed their victory with a final score of 3-1, successfully defending their title.

With this win, Millat FC earned their spot to represent Mumbai at the national level in the All India Football Federation Futsal Championship for the second consecutive year.

_{^{Media Credits: MILLAT FC Media}}

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