Champions Kerala fails to defend Santhosh trophy; eliminated in group stage

BHUBANESHWAR: Kerala’s tenuous run in the Santhosh trophy ended on a bitter note after a draw with Punjab on Sunday. It was the last match of the group stage and a do-or-die for Kerala to ease its way to the playoffs. But Punjab dashed the hopes of the champions with a late draw(1-1) that ended Kerala’s run for the trophy.

Kerala took lead through Vaishak Mohan in the 24th minute. However, the game tilted in favor of Punjab, as they scored a clean finish through Rohit Sheik in the 39th minute. In the second half, Kerala tried a rejuvenating act wiggling through spaces but failed to pervade the bulwark set by Punjab's defense. With just eight points in the account, Kerala marched out of the tournament allowing both Punjab and Karnataka to enter the semifinals from the group.

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Hero National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2022-23 🏆

Kerala 1️⃣ - 1️⃣ Punjab#SantoshTrophy #Kerala pic.twitter.com/E3nybGKrr1

— Kerala Football Association (@keralafa) February 19, 2023