VERNA:Compassion Football Academy won the 2nd edition of the Inspire Cup All India Inter Academy football tournament for the second time in a row.
The Goan team had gone down 0-2 to the same Anantpur Sports Academy team the hosts, in the last league match after having won 5 of their league matches straight but qualified to the direct finals with the two top teams qualifying.
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The first goal came in the very third minute when the skipper Riya Patre’s free kick beat the defender and Fatima Braganza made no mistake to put the ball into the net past the goalkeeper for an early lead.
In the 18th minute, the second goal came from the shoes of Pearl Fernandes who slotted the ball into the net from close range in a corner taken by Riya.
The Anantpur girls tried their best not to concede any more goals and continually attacked the Goan goal but coach Prakash Khatri’s team did not allow them any room for scoring.
In the second half, their efforts earned them a penalty kick but Nandini’s kick was blocked by goalkeeper Ria Rajesh. A few moments later, Ria fumbled and Nandini went on to score the only goal for the host team and finally the match ended with the Compassion team winning by a 2-1 score line.
Fatima was awarded the player of the tournament for scoring 14 goals with 7 assists and Ria Rajesh the golden glove for conceding 4 goals in 7 matches with the Nandini being awarded the golden boot for scoring 18 goals the highest number of goals in the tournament.
It was a sweet victory for the Goa girls in the presence of a Chief Guest also from Goa, Maymol Rocky who presently is the Head Coach of the Indian National Girls U-20 team and also Chairman of the GFA women committee who was invited by the organisers Rural Development Trust at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh.
The La Liga Foundacion organised the event with 7 academy teams from across the country.
