SF-1: Peren vs Tseminyu (2-3)
Lady luck did not favor the Peren team as they were unable to maintain the lead twice during the 80-minute encounter in the first semi-final match that saw a dramatic turn of events. Peren’s Winamthu Ringdi broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, but Tseminyu’s Nyithong Magh’s equalizer from a free kick in the 29th minute ensured the game ended level in the first half.
Peren took the lead again in the 59th minute owing to Lamsanggin Hangsing, but Tseminyu’s Ntsenlo Semp equalized in the 65th minute. Both teams had comfortable possession of the field, with offensives and defensives in sync, but Tseminyu came out on top as the jinxed Peren side were unable to hold off Goal Scoring Machine Yhunshalo Kemp’s wild run into the box at the 80th minute scoring past the bewildered goalie, ending Peren’s hopes for a final playoff with a 3-2 score line.
In an exclusive telephonic interview with Tseminyu’s Captain Yhunshalo Kemp about his last minute goal that led the team to the final, he told Mokokchung Times, “It was like God wanted me to score. The fact that an amazing attacking team like Peren made some mistake and passed the ball to me; it was like God really wanted me to score.”
“It has been an extremely wonderful journey. We had zero loses, just straight wins. I really want to congratulate all my team members because all of us are working so hard. We will work hard and give our best in the final.” He added, “We are very happy that we made it to the final. The pressure of winning is less because we are all very happy. But we will do our best and make sure that we have a good final match.”
