FC Raengdai started brightly and showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion. The debutants controlled possession and pressed high, and their positive approach was rewarded in the ninth minute when Chongtham Kishan Singh unleashed a stunning effort from around 20 metres. His powerful strike dipped late, crashed against the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net to give Raengdai a 1-0 lead.

SC Delhi responded with attacking intent and created several opportunities, but Raengdai’s organised defence continued to frustrate their opponents. Juan Sebastian Peña came close with a header, while Lalrinliana Hnamte saw an effort strike the post as SC Delhi searched desperately for an equaliser.

Raengdai also remained dangerous on the counter, with Midul Doley and Khaidem Amarjit Singh causing problems for the SC Delhi backline. Despite the attacking exchanges, neither side could find another goal before halftime, leaving the debutants with a narrow advantage.

The complexion of the match changed dramatically after the restart. SC Delhi introduced Joseph Sunny, and the substitute immediately injected fresh energy into their attack.

The breakthrough finally came in the 57th minute. After Peña created space and released Sunny, the substitute collected the ball on the edge of the box before firing a precise low finish through a crowded defence and into the bottom corner.

Sunny struck again ten minutes later to complete the turnaround. This time, Peña produced a superb no-look pass to send him through inside the penalty area. With only goalkeeper Kamei Pantiga to beat, Sunny remained composed and calmly finished to put SC Delhi 2-1 ahead.

Raengdai attempted to fight back, but SC Delhi had seized control of the contest. Rodriguinho came close before finally getting his reward in the 82nd minute, showing excellent composure to work past two defenders and slot a left-footed finish beyond Pantiga.

The closing stages turned into a one-sided affair. Peña added a fourth in stoppage time after a brilliant individual run into the box, before substitute Augustine Lalrochana completed the scoring deep into added time with a composed finish into the far corner.

The emphatic comeback sees SC Delhi advance to the semi-finals, continuing what has been an outstanding Durand Cup campaign. They will face the winner of the quarter-final between Indian Army Football Team and East Bengal FC on August 19 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.

For FC Raengdai, the defeat brings an end to a memorable maiden Durand Cup campaign. The debutants had already exceeded expectations by reaching the quarter-finals and can look back with pride on their historic run.

The tournament also continued its initiative to recognise emerging talent, with one standout player from each group receiving the Emerging Player Award and a ₹1 lakh cash prize. Samuel K. Vanlalpeka and Naorem Somananda Singh of the Indian Air Force Football Team were recognised as the Emerging Players from Group C for their performances during the group stage.

SC Delhi, meanwhile, march on with confidence and momentum, having shown that they possess both the resilience and attacking quality required to challenge for the Durand Cup crown.

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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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Making their maiden appearance in the Durand Cup, the Manipuri outfit showcased composure, determination and defensive resilience to overcome a vastly experienced Indian Navy side featuring several players with Indian Super League and Indian Football League experience.

FC Raengdai made an energetic start and came close to taking the lead inside the opening three minutes. Mridul Doley timed his run perfectly to break into the penalty area but failed to make clean contact with his left-footed effort, allowing Indian Navy goalkeeper Bhaskar Roy to gather comfortably.

The Navy side gradually settled into the contest and began posing a threat from set-pieces. A long throw created confusion inside the Raengdai penalty area before the defence managed to clear the danger, while Wangkheimayum Sadananda Singh came within inches of opening the scoring with a deflected free-kick that drifted narrowly wide.

Indian Navy’s best opportunity of the opening half arrived just before the hydration break. Vijay Marandi and Roshan Panna combined brilliantly on the edge of the area before Panna slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Sreyas V.G. The forward found himself unmarked inside the box but failed to generate enough power on his finish, allowing goalkeeper Kamei Pantiga to make a routine save.

With both teams creating six attempts each, neither side could find the breakthrough before half-time, leaving the contest delicately balanced heading into the interval.

FC Raengdai emerged with greater urgency after the restart following the introductions of Laishram Bikramjit Singh and Khaidem Amarjit Singh. The substitutions immediately added fresh energy as the debutants began to dominate proceedings.

Mridul Doley remained at the heart of every dangerous attack. First, he narrowly missed connecting with a teasing cross from P.M. Rakeveiche before squandering another golden opportunity moments later by blasting over the crossbar after a defensive mix-up inside the Indian Navy box.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 58th minute. Novin Gurung was dispossessed by the lively Doley, who burst into the penalty area before being brought down by the advancing Bhaskar Roy. Fortunately for FC Raengdai, the loose ball rolled perfectly into the path of substitute Khaidem Amarjit Singh, who calmly tapped into an empty net to score the club’s maiden Durand Cup goal and hand his side a historic lead.

With Indian Navy pushing bodies forward in search of an equaliser, spaces began to open at the other end. Raengdai almost doubled their advantage when another defensive lapse allowed Mridul Doley to race through on goal, but Bhaskar Roy produced an outstanding save with his outstretched leg to keep his team alive.

The closing stages saw relentless pressure from Indian Navy, who repeatedly delivered crosses into the penalty area in an attempt to force extra attacking opportunities. However, FC Raengdai’s backline stood firm, defending with discipline and determination to deny every aerial threat.

The home side could have wrapped up the contest deep into stoppage time when substitute Tingkaochun Gangmei was presented with an open goal after an unselfish pass from Amarjit Singh. Much to the disbelief of the home crowd, the forward failed to hit the target from close range.

Despite the late miss, it mattered little as FC Raengdai successfully negotiated five minutes of added time to seal a famous victory in front of a passionate home crowd. The result not only marked a dream start to their maiden Durand Cup campaign but also served as a statement of intent from the young Manipuri side, who combined fearless attacking football with resolute defending to earn one of the biggest results in the club’s history.

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