AIFF Super Cup Final: FC Goa Defeats East Bengal on Penalties to Defend Title

Udaipur, Dec 07, 2025: Goa retained the Super Cup after defeating East Bengal in a hard-fought final. Two seasons ago, East Bengal won the tournament by beating Odisha, and this time they came close to lifting the trophy again at the Fatorda Stadium. However, the result slipped away from them in the final moments.

East Bengal head coach Óscar Bruzón was absent from the dugout after receiving a red card in the semi-final, so he had to watch the match from the stands. The disappointment deepened as the team suffered another heartbreak, similar to their tiebreaker loss in the IFA Shield. The painful memories returned as they once again fell short, losing 5–6 in the shootout.

Goa earned an early corner, but East Bengal defender Kevin Sibile stayed alert and cleared the danger. The Red and Yellow Brigade received a free kick in the 6th minute but failed to make the most of it. Goa had an opportunity in the 11th minute, and East Bengal also created a counterattack chance when Anwar Ali’s pass found Miguel on the left wing, but his shot went wide. In the 20th minute, Naorem Mahesh missed connecting with Bipin Singh’s excellent cross. Goa came close again in the 38th minute. Four minutes later, Bipin played another sharp ball to Naorem, whose shot was saved by Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari. Just before the break, Naorem got another clear chance, but Goa survived thanks to a strong tackle from Sangwan. Despite controlling the first half, East Bengal failed to score, and the half ended goalless.

Extra Time and Late Drama

Goa increased their attacks early in the second half. But against the run of play, East Bengal had a golden chance in the 62nd minute when Bipin Singh found Hiroshi, though Hrithik saved his header easily. In the 74th minute, PV Vishnu’s shot was cleared off the line by the Goa goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Bryson’s powerful attempt struck the right post. In the 77th minute, Borja missed an open net, heading wide from close range. Then in the 80th minute, Paul Moreno attempted a lob from midfield with the East Bengal goalkeeper slightly off his line, but the ball struck the post.

Since the match remained goalless after 90 minutes, the game moved into extra time. Goa dominated possession in the first half of extra time. Hamid Ahdad came on for Bipin Singh in the 102nd minute. Early in the second half of extra time, Goa wasted three easy chances, and East Bengal were saved repeatedly by goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. First, Dragic struck a powerful shot from outside the box, which Gill pushed away. The rebound fell to Severio, but Gill produced another brilliant save. With no goals in 120 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout.

In the shootout, East Bengal started strongly as Kevin Sibile converted the first penalty. For Goa, Borja struck the crossbar. Sol Crespo calmly scored to extend East Bengal’s lead, but Severio converted for Goa. Miguel added another for East Bengal, before Dragic scored for Goa. The momentum shifted when Rashid fired his shot over the bar, allowing Nemil to equalize for Goa. Anwar Ali scored next to keep East Bengal ahead, but Timor levelled for Goa again. Hamid then scored with confidence, and Udanta matched him. Under pressure, PV Vishnu sent his shot over the bar, giving Goa the advantage. Finally, Sahil Tavora stepped up and scored the winning penalty, sealing a dramatic 6–5 victory for Goa and handing East Bengal another heartbreaking defeat at the Fatorda Stadium.