Published: June 20, 2026 at 9:49 pm
Debutants Tlangnuam FC (Mizoram) trounced FC Bushahr (Himachal Pradesh) 14-2, while South Castle United FC (Karnataka) thrashed Ganganagar City FC (Rajasthan) 11-6 in the AIFF Futsal Club Championship 2025-26 at the SAG Indoor Stadium in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday.
Tlangnuam now only need a point in their next game against Coramandal FC on Monday to secure top spot in Group C. The same is true for South Castle United, who will face Young Hearts FC on the same day. The group winners and runners-up will qualify for the quarterfinals.
Tlangnuam were a revelation
In a spirited display of power-packed futsal, debutants Tlangnuam FC were a revelation. So authoritative and commanding was their display that FC Bushahr, who had won their first match against Coramandal FC 9-5, were completely swept off their feet by the aggressive and attacking approach of Tlangnuam, who scored a terrific 14-2 victory in the end. A total of nine players got on to the scoring sheet for the winners, who are coached by Joshuah Vaz.
Keeping possession for a good portion of the game, Tlangnuam moved up briskly and also dropped back to defend if they lost possession. The shots from far away were taken care of by goalkeeper Anand Parashar.
Six minutes into the game, Tlangnuam opened the scoring and the floodgates as it were. Roy Lalenkima took his marker wide and rolled it across for Laltuangzela to score the goal. But Bushahr responded swiftly in the next minute as Mervin Stephen tapped home a Clinton D’Souza pass for the equaliser. However, that was the best they could do on the day.
Running in behind the defence to catch them napping, the Tlangnuam players then scored almost at will. Lalremtluanga sent his corner kick to David Laltansanga, who in turn found Laltemruata free, and the latter slammed it in. Lakshay then diverted a long pass into his own net, and that’s how the scoreline stood at half-time — 3-1.
After the break, things heated up quite a bit as Tlangnuam stepped up the momentum and found the net with precise moves and clever positioning. Lalremtluanga struck three goals, Lalremruata got his second, and Rony Lalremkima also scored twice.
Lalrinzuala H, Laltlansanga, Roluahpuia and Lalrochama added one goal each as they found the space and time to fill the net. But the best effort came from Jayesh Sutar. He intercepted a move near the half-line and, seeing goalkeeper Priyanshu Bisht out of his charge, produced a curling left footer into the empty net.
D’Souza scored one more for Bushahr, but Tlangnuam eventually emerged 14-2 winners at the end of an impressive display.
South Castle United FC score at will
South Castle United FC produced a very skillful and compact display to score almost at will. They opened up a 5-1 lead at half-time and then added six more to emerge convincing 11-6 winners in the end to begin on a winning note.
South Castle United FC (Karnataka) thrashed Ganganagar City FC (Rajasthan) 11-6 in the AIFF Futsal Club Championship 2025-26 at the SAG Indoor Stadium in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday. Pics: AIFF
Ganganagar City FC had beaten Young Hearts FC 5-3 in their first outing. But playing against another team which was on display for the first time, they failed to repeat that effort. In trying to force men into the attack, they left huge gaps which their opponents exploited to fill the cage. Even their goalkeepers, Axay and Mohan Bahadur, left their charge open as they joined the attack and paid the penalty. Surendra Prasad intercepted a kick-in, and goalkeeper Abhishek Ramesh managed to lob the ball into the empty goal.
South Castle showed a lot of fluency in their movements to keep possession and launch their sorties from the flanks and the middle. They played wide enough to draw their markers out and then squeezed the ball in for their colleagues to finish.
Coramandal FC becomes first AP club to feature in AIFF Futsal Club Championship
Jino Soosai, who opened the account, managed to find the net four times with some clinical finishing. Surendra also scored thrice. But he combined very well with Narendra to open up avenues to the goal as the duo kept up moves at a fast clip and repeatedly threatened the opponent’s goal.
Praveen Amith also contributed handsomely and struck a fine goal off a neat set-up by Yogith. He then combined well with one-touch play before slotting Surendra’s pass home.
After leading 5-1 at half-time with Kishan Singh having reduced the margin, Ganganagar conceded two more but scored twice in quick succession to reduce the deficit to 7-4 as Ankit Ashish Rana struck with first-time shots. But Jinoo scored twice and Surendra once as they made it 10-4, before Sourabh Sharma kept Ganganagar in the fight with two strikes to make it 10-6.
But with goalkeeper Mohan Bahadur off his line, his opposite number, Abhishek Ramesh, did well to lob the ball in as the game ended at 11-6.
Results: Tlangnuam FC 14 (Laltuangzela 6’ Lalremruata 8’ 39’ Lalremtluanga 23’ 25’ 30’ Rony Lalremkima 24’ 34’ Lalrinzuala H 29’ David Laltlansanga 34’ Jayesh Sutar 36’ Roluahpuia 38’ Lalrochama 39’) beat FC Bushahr 2 (Mervin Stephen 7’ Lakshay 18’ (OG) Craig D’Souza 31’).
Ganganagar City FC 6 (Kishan Singh 10’ Ashish Ankit Rana 24’ 25’ Sourabh Sharma 25’ 37’) lost to South Castle United FC – 11 (Jino Soosai 3’ 22’ 26’ 36’ V. Narendra Prasad 8’ V. Surendra Prasad 10’ 24’ 27’ (OG 39’) Praveen Amith 14’ 15’ Abhishek Ramesh 39’).
