New Delhi, Dec 22 (NationPress) For the sixth occasion in the history of the Senior Women's National Football Championship for the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, Manipur and Odisha are set to clash in the final, scheduled to take place at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh this Monday.
Manipur has been consistent this season, living up to their reputation. This marks the 29th edition of the tournament, where the reigning champions of Indian women's football will compete in their 27th final. They have claimed victory in 22 finals. Hence, it is no surprise that in the previous five finals against Odisha, Manipur has emerged victorious each time. Their last encounter was during the 2018-19 season, where Manipur triumphed 2-1 on home turf in Cuttack. Irom Prameshwori Devi, part of this season's lineup, netted a goal in that match.
Odisha, on the other hand, boasts one title, achieved in the 2010-11 season in Bhilai, which was one of the rare moments when Manipur did not reach the final. Odisha secured a dominant 5-0 win over West Bengal, marking the largest victory margin in the history of the Senior Women's National Football Championship.
As for the journey to the final in Narainpur, Manipur faced no obstacles, finishing at the top of Group A with four wins from four matches. They defeated Odisha 2-0 during the group stage, thanks to goals from Hemam Shilky Devi and Laishram Bibicha Devi, providing them with a psychological edge heading into the final. Dominating victories over Maharashtra (6-1) and Jharkhand (5-0) solidified their place as group leaders, with one match remaining. They faced Tamil Nadu in their final group stage match, narrowly winning 2-1 in injury time, a result attributed to their lack of pressure in that game and head coach Moirangthem Deben Singh rotating the squad.
In the semi-finals on Saturday, Manipur overwhelmed West Bengal with three goals in the second half scored by three Indian internationals - Dangmei Grace, Naorem Priyangka Devi, and Shilky. Notably, eight of the eleven starters had experience on the senior India team.
However, one standout player in the tournament has been Odisha's Pyari Xaxa. From the qualifying rounds onward, the forward has scored a total of 12 goals, including both goals in their 2-0 semi-final win against Haryana. Odisha's heavy reliance on a single scoring option led Manipur to tailor their defense, marking Pyari closely during their group stage match. Odisha head coach Gitanjali Khuntia will need to devise a Plan B to break through Manipur's resolute defense.
Odisha also has concerns regarding their defense. While Manipur has not started quickly - failing to score in the first half of their last four matches - it is their explosive second-half performance that has consistently overwhelmed opponents. In those four matches, they scored six goals within the first 15 minutes of the second half. Maintaining consistency throughout the full 90 minutes will be crucial for Odisha if they hope to contain Manipur and achieve a historic outcome for their state.
