Maharashtra Oranje FC ended their campaign on a high with a 4–2 victory, showing great fighting spirit until the final whistle. However, despite the win, they fell just short on goal difference. Oranje’s performances reflected their attacking flair and the progress of their youth system, even though qualification narrowly slipped away.

SSE BFC, meanwhile, continued their impressive form, built on sharp finishing and disciplined defending. The Mumbai side had earlier produced one of the standout results of the qualifiers with a commanding 11–0 victory which was a key fixture in context to their qualification to the knockouts of the qualifiers and carried that momentum to finish among the top two. Their balance between creativity and control proved crucial in such a tight race.

UKM Kothrud FC from Pune also rose to the occasion as they gave a tough fight to all teams who they faced in all rounds. Their vital results against strong opponents, including a win over Oranje earlier in the phase, played a key role in helping them qualify. UKM’s achievement is a proud moment for Pune football and a sign of how far their youth setup has come.

With SSE BFC and UKM Kothrud advancing, the stage is now set for the zonal round, where both teams will face the best from other regions. For Oranje FC, the campaign ends in heartbreak but also with plenty of positives, a display of promising young talent that will surely come back stronger in the next edition.

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Coming off a thrilling 3–3 draw against Conscient Sports in their previous outing, MSP entered this fixture determined to secure all three points — and they did just that with a commanding 4–2 victory over India Rush Soccer Club.

MSP got off to a flying start, taking the lead in just the third minute through Jahaan Sheth, who calmly slotted the ball past the Rush goalkeeper to set the tone for the game. The young forward was in unstoppable form, doubling his tally just before the halftime whistle to give MSP a comfortable 2–0 lead at the break.

The second half saw Jahaan complete his well-deserved hat-trick, further extending MSP’s advantage and highlighting his finishing capability. India Rush managed to pull one back through Brian, but MSP’s attacking momentum continued as Aayush added a fourth to put the result beyond doubt. Despite Brian scoring his second goal in stoppage time for India Rush, it was too little, too late as MSP secured a convincing win.

With this victory, Mumbai Soccer Prodigies sit on top of Group F, displaying impressive teamwork and attacking chemistry. Their final league match is set to take place on 13th October at Cooperage Ground, where they will face Bravo Football in what promises to be a thrilling contest as MSP aim to finish the league stage in style.

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Both teams entered the fixture with strong momentum following massive wins on their opening days (SSA with a 6-0 win; SSE BFC with a 7-0 victory), setting the stage for an intense clash where only a win would suffice.

The match began with high intensity, reflective of the aggressive approaches both teams brought to the pitch. SSA broke the deadlock in the 20th minute following an aggressive charge into the box.

The sequence began two minutes earlier when Ishan Mohammed showcased dazzling skill on the left wing, dribbling past defenders before delivering an outrageous outer-foot cross near the penalty box. Gururaj Mane met the delivery with a perfect run but was brought down by the SSE BFC skipper centre-back, leading the referee to point to the penalty spot. Gururaj confidently stepped up and slotted the ball into the right bottom corner, scoring his third goal of the campaign in just two games.

However, SSA’s lead was short-lived. SSE BFC fired back with an almost immediate equalizer from a corner. Ishaan Shanker delivered the corner kick to the near post, where Jaden Alex met the ball with a powerful, bullet header that left the keeper, Aarnav, with no chance as the ball sailed into the net. The teams entered halftime locked at 1-1.

The second half began with renewed intensity as both sides pressed hard for the decisive goal. The Cooperage ground witnessed a moment of pure magic in the 56th minute when SSE BFC’s Ishan Ghosh scored arguably the most outrageous goal of the campaign so far. After a heavy touch near the halfway line from second ball, the defender found himself with ample space and launched a rocket from over 25+ yards that nailed directly into the top right corner, stunning everyone watching.

Somaiya quickly answered with a banger of their own to level the score. A short corner involving Vedant Gajamal and Anush Chavan saw Vedant execute some filthy footwork to penetrate the box before setting up Eshan Mohammed. Eshan fired a strike directly to the top left corner from a tight angle, equalizing the score at 2-2.

Both teams created several close chances late on but couldn’t find the back of the net, ultimately settling for a 2-2 draw.

As things stand, the draw leaves SSE BFC as the Group C leaders with a superior Goal Difference (GD) of +7, while Somaiya Sports Academy sits second with a GD of +6.

Everything now comes down to the final matchday of the Group C Qualifiers, where GD will be paramount for securing the top spot and a place in the knockout stage:

• October 10th: SSE BFC takes on Hungry Hearts SS.
• October 13th: Somaiya Sports Academy faces Kenkre FC.

The pressure is inevitable, as both teams must not only win but also score as many goals as possible to top the table. The Cooperage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the group stage of Group C.

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SSA is competing in the Maharashtra Zone Qualifiers, where 20 teams are distributed across six groups, all fighting for a spot in the national round. SSA has been drawn into the challenging Group C alongside HHSS, SSE BFC Soccer Schools (Mumbai), and Kenkre FC.

The path forward is demanding: the six group toppers will advance to a knockout stage, where they will compete for the top three spots. Only two teams from the entire zone will ultimately qualify for the prestigious national round.

In the opening fixture Somaiya Sports Academy locked horns against Hungry Hearts Soccer School (HHSS) at the Cooperage Stadium. The SSA boys exuded confidence and aggression from the start. Early chances were created, including a free-kick from skipper Anush Chavan that narrowly missed the bar, while an long range ambitious attempt was saved by keeper.

The breakthrough arrived courtesy of early substitute Gururaj Mane, who wasted no time marking his presence. In the 42md minute, a sublime effort initiated by Akshat Padaya saw him run from his own half, dismantling three to four defenders before delivering a precise through pass to Gururaj, who slotted the ball into the net. The momentum swing was immediate. Just three minutes later, SSA doubled their advantage with an outrageous volley by Yash Bhandare, sending the team into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.

SSA began the second half with even greater attacking intent, and were quickly rewarded in the 49th minute. Goal-scorer Yash Bhandare turned provider, delivering a superb run down the right flank before squaring the ball to Eshan Mohammed, who finished with a first-touch strike into the bottom left corner for the third goal.

Despite being 3-0 down, HHSS maintained a high defensive line, a risky tactic that was soon punished. Skipper Anush Chavan capitalized, launching a direct long ball over the top of defense line. Neelabh Bhoktiari timed his run perfectly to bring down the ball and finish a simple one-on-one chance into the bottom right corner.

In the very next attack, Anush was instrumental again, linking up in midfield to deliver the final pass to Gururaj Mane inside the box, who finished with a first-touch strike to the far post for his brace. The final blow was struck just before the whistle with an amazing solo effort by Dikshant Konar, who carried the ball from midfield, beat two defenders inside the box, and smashed a powerful strike into the right corner to seal the comprehensive 6-0 victory.

Looking at the convincing win and crucial win in this short format tournament, Somaiya Head Coach Harshil Somaiya stated “when we play a short league format, winning the first match is very crucial. It sets the tone for the tournament and gives the team confidence and momentum.”

Despite a massive win of 6-0 among these young players it’s also need to keep in minded to being grounded and Coach rightfully mentions that “We also remind the players that this is just the beginning. One win doesn’t decide the competition, so we stay grounded, keep improving, and focus on the next match.”

Other Results Across the AIFF Elite Youth League Qualifiers

In a Group G Qualifiers clash, Pune’s Adrenaline Sports triumphed over Pune Pioneers with a commanding 8-3 victory. Ayan Shedge led the charge with a hat-trick, while Samar Prasad and Joshua Chandekar each scored a brace to seal the emphatic win for Adrenaline Sports.

Over in Group D, Savvy Swaraaj FC hosted Thane City FC in Ahmedabad and cruised to a 6-1 victory, with forward Chittransh scoring a brilliant hat-trick to secure the three points for Savvy Swaraaj.

In Group H, the encounter between Rising Pune F.C. and Sportiqo Football Academy ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams fighting hard but unable to break the deadlock.

With numerous matches yet to be played, the stage is set for an intense qualifying round. Stay tuned to Football Counter for updates as the race for the national round continues.

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