Services beat Kerala 1-0 to win Santosh Trophy final in Assam

Services defeated Kerala 1-0 in the Santosh Trophy 2025-26 final at Dhakuakhana Football Stadium, Assam. Abhishek Pawar scored in the 109th minute to secure Services’ eighth title, repeating their 2012-13 final win over Kerala

Hyderabad: Services defeated Kerala 1-0 in an absorbing final of the 79th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy 2025-26 at the jam-packed Dhakuakhana Football Stadium, Dhakuakhana, Assam, on Sunday.

This was the eighth time they won the holy grail of Indian football in their chequered history. Striker Abhishek Pawar slammed the only goal of a tense battle in the 109th minute, after regulation and the first half of extra time yielded no goals.

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It was only the second time in the championship’s history that these two teams clashed in the final. They had last met in the 2012-13 edition’s final in Kochi when Services won 4-3 via the penalty shoot-out after the teams had drawn a blank at the end of regulation and extra time. Services thus repeated that winning act once more.

Services had last won it in 2023-24 in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh, defeating Goa 1-0 in the final.

It was also only the second time that these two teams had figured in a final whenever Assam played hosts on six occasions in the past. Services had lost to Bengal 1-6 in the 1969-70 final. Kerala had also lost to Bengal 3-4 via the penalty shoot-out after the teams drew 1-1 in the 1988-89 final.

As the huge crowd waited with bated breath for a goal, and the match seemed to be headed for another shoot-out, Services pieced together a move wide on the left flank. Samuel Vanlalpeka sent the 63rd-minute substitute Shubham Rana down the flank. Advancing right up to the corner flag, Shubham Rana sent in a calculated centre into the box. Kerala goalkeeper Hajmal S did well to fist it. As the ball rolled towards the edge of the box, striker Abhishek Pawar swivelled around and let fly a low right-footer that screamed past the tiring Kerala legs into the net as the Services outfit erupted with joy. So did their vast army of supporters in the galleries.

The result: Final: Services 1 (Abhishek Pawar 109′) bt Kerala 0.