In the second semifinal match, both Dimapur and Phek rested their maestros Kivi Zhimomi and Johny Ritse, while Dimapur also deployed Defender Homuka as a goalkeeper instead of James.
Dimapur, who dominated the first half, did not disappoint the spectators even as Phek’s unexpected shoddy defense exposed the team’s fragility. Surhusol gave Dimapur the lead in the 11th minute, with Aloumai scoring the second goal in the 18th minute. The Phek side was unable to repel another attempt in the 35th minute, as Mughahuto found the back of the net, closing the first half with a score of 3-0.
Starting the second half of the game, Dimapur once again controlled the field for a good quarter of the remaining 40 minutes, but the fast paced Dimapur side showed signs of fatigue, which the Phek side did not fail to notice and snuck in two goals back to back in the 70th and 75th minutes by subbed Ritse and Zohe, making a strong attempt for a comeback in the dying minutes of the game but inept shots on goals before the final whistle meant that Phek’s goals were in vain as Dimapur went on to the final with the score line of 3-2 in their favor.
Talking to Mokokchung Times, Laloureiyang Panmei (Aloumei) expressed how glad he is for the finals against Tseminyu although he admitted to having a tough second half against Phek.
“We dominated the first half against Phek; just one- two touch and we were in possession. In the second half, our tempo went down so we were under a lot of pressure but we managed it fortunately through team work,” he said.
“We really want to congratulate the Tseminyu team for the finals because it is their first time on the finals as a new district. I am very excited to play against them; I actually cannot wait. They have some key players and I hope I play well against them and hopefully score some goal. Because I am very excited I am not sure if I can sleep tonight,” he said excitedly.
“One beautiful thing about our team is that we believe in each other and have very strong confidence. We might look like we are shouting at each other in the pitch but we are motivating one another. In fact, we applaud ourselves for being able to win against Kohima despite one man less and I believe we did all this because of the team spirit we shared collectively,” he said.
Dimapur will reportedly face Tseminyu without Captain Kivi Zhimomi, who is out with a hamstring injury, and vital player Ratobe, who is suspended by the NFA for misconduct during the quarter-final encounter against Kohima.
“We know we have a couple of key players missing which is unfortunate but our coach has put a lot of trust in us. The team is ready and excited and we are sure, we will give our best to win,” he said.
