FC Goa Clinches AIFF Super Cup Title in Thrilling Penalty Shootout

FC Goa Triumphs in AIFF Super Cup Final

Margao (Goa) [India], December 8: FC Goa has secured the AIFF Super Cup championship for the third time, defeating East Bengal FC 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shootout at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda on December 7, 2025, according to a press release from the AIFF.

Despite both teams creating numerous scoring opportunities, neither could find the back of the net during regular and extra time, leading to the first-ever penalty shootout in an AIFF Super Cup final. FC Goa's captain Borja Herrera and East Bengal's Mohamad Basim Rashid both missed their initial penalty attempts.

East Bengal's Kevin Sibille, Saul Crespo, Miguel Ferreira, and Anwar Ali successfully converted their penalties, while FC Goa's Javier Siverio, Dejan Drazic, Muhammed Nemil, and David Timor scored, pushing the shootout into sudden death. Udanta Kumam and Sahil Tavora netted for Goa, while Hamid Ahadad scored for East Bengal, but PV Vishnu's miss proved costly.

The final was intense from the outset, with the home crowd energizing FC Goa, who started strong with early set-piece chances that East Bengal managed to defend against.

East Bengal soon regained their composure and began creating their own opportunities. Their first significant chance came in the 12th minute when Ferreira was played through but missed the target. Bipin Singh was particularly active on the wing, delivering a dangerous cross in the 20th minute that was mishandled by Mahesh Naorem, keeping the score level.

To counter East Bengal's wing play, FC Goa made tactical substitutions, bringing in Udanta and Nim Dorjee Tamang for Boris Singh and Ronney Willson, which helped stabilize their midfield and mitigate East Bengal's threats.

Mahesh had a couple of near misses late in the first half, including a volley saved in the 43rd minute and a chance in injury time that was thwarted by Aakash Sangwan.

After halftime, Goa came out aggressively, with Ayush Chhetri attempting a long-range shot that went over the bar. Timor set up Drazic in the 49th minute, but the latter was ruled offside.

East Bengal responded with relentless attacks, and Bipin's precise crosses found both Miguel and Ibusuki, but they failed to convert their chances.

In the 74th minute, East Bengal thought they had scored when PV Vishnu's shot was nearly mishandled by FC Goa's goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, who managed to clear it just in time, despite the appeals from East Bengal players and fans for a goal.

This close call revitalized Goa, leading to a powerful long-range shot from Brison Fernandes that hit the post in the 77th minute. Shortly after, Borja's cross found Drazic, but he missed the header.

FC Goa's Pol Moreno nearly scored in the 81st minute with an unintentional effort that almost caught the East Bengal goalkeeper off guard, but Gill managed to tip it onto the crossbar.

As the match moved into extra time, opportunities became scarce. Siverio's close-range shot was saved by Gill in the 107th minute, and the East Bengal keeper made another crucial save in the 114th minute from a Timor header.

Gill had a standout performance, even getting a hand to several penalties, but ultimately, the shootout was determined by the missed attempts, with East Bengal edging out FC Goa.