Sangtemla Ward will face off against Penli Ward at the championship finale of the 4th Mokokchung Inter-Ward Football Tournament as Sangtemla secured a decisive win to secure a berth in the finals after their 2-1 victory over former champions Artang at the Imkongmeren Sports Complex on Wednesday.
In a closely contested semifinal encounter between the two formidable teams, Sangtemla came out on top to book their berth in the final by dominating their opponent in a classic matchup between the two.
Sangtemla led the entire first half as veteran R Achi opened the account at the 16th minute mark followed closely by the marquee player Meyasungba in the 32nd minute to end the first half with the score 2-0.
However, in the 52nd minute, Artang’s hopes were revived as Tongpangnoktang stroked the net but the team failed to find their equalizer and with it their hopes of lifting their trophy for a record second time ended prematurely.
The final match of the tournament will be played on Friday (21 April), 1:00 PM at Imkongmeren Sports Complex between neighbors Sangtemla Ward and Penli Ward. Both teams are vying to lift the trophy for the first time in the competition.
Earlier in the day, Allen Mark, General Secretary, Mokokchung District Art and Culture Council graced the 2nd semi-final match as match patron.
In his short speech, Mark observed how one’s character is shown in the way one plays the sport.
He encouraged the players to “play hard and respect your opponents.”
