Playing with confidence despite their inexperience at this level, FC Raengdai made a bright start and quickly took control of proceedings. Their attacking intent paid off as Mridul Doley opened the scoring before doubling his tally later in the first half, giving the debutants a deserved two-goal cushion and silencing the home supporters.

TRAU, however, found a lifeline just before the break when Chanam Akash Meitei pulled one back, reducing the deficit and giving the hosts renewed belief heading into the closing stages of the first half.

Raengdai responded immediately in first-half stoppage time through Chongtham Kishan Singh, who restored the visitors’ two-goal advantage and ensured they entered the interval with a commanding 3-1 lead after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.

The second half brought even more drama. TRAU came out with greater urgency, and their persistence paid off within two minutes of the restart as Afdal Varikkodan found the back of the net to make it 3-2. The momentum had clearly shifted in favour of the home side, and they completed a remarkable comeback in the 67th minute when an unfortunate own goal by Lanchungrei Pamei brought the scores level at 3-3.

With the contest hanging in the balance, both sides searched desperately for a winner. It was FC Raengdai who once again found the decisive moment, and fittingly it came through their star performer. In the 79th minute, Mridul Doley completed a memorable hat-trick, calmly finishing to restore Raengdai’s lead and cap off a magnificent individual performance.

TRAU pushed forward in the closing stages in search of another equaliser, but FC Raengdai defended with determination and composure to preserve their advantage until the final whistle, sealing another historic victory in only their second-ever Durand Cup match.

The result sees FC Raengdai climb to the top of Group D with a perfect six points from two matches, continuing what has been a remarkable debut campaign. Their fearless attacking football and resilience under pressure have made them one of the early stories of the tournament.

For TRAU FC, it was a frustrating evening despite an impressive fightback from two goals down. The defeat leaves the Manipur side with work to do in their remaining group-stage fixtures as they look to keep their knockout hopes alive, while FC Raengdai move one step closer to creating history in their maiden Durand Cup appearance.

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Pradeep Mohanraj signed I-league team Mumbai FC

On completing his move Pradeep said, “I am happy to have signed for Mumbai FC. It’s my 4^th year in this city. I am comfortable here and therefore I wanted to play for Mumbai FC. The fact that I have played for Mumbai before will make it very easy for me to adjust here.“

The 2012 Durand Cup winner added, “Another factor was that Mumbai plays in the I-League. At the age of 23, I am at the peak of my career and I really wanted to play in the top tier of Indian football. I look forward to joining my teammates soon. I am sure I will have a fruitful time here.”
Mumbai FC Head Coach Khalid Jamil displayed his pleasure as he stated, “Pradeep is an important addition to the squad. He increases the squad depth and the eagerness he shows to win matches will play an important role both for his growth as well as the players around him.”

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