Manipur booked their quarterfinal spot in the National Football Championships for the Santosh Trophy with a 4-1 win against Mizoram in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. (More Football News)
Philam Sanathoi Meetei (35th, 90th minutes), Leimajam Sangkar Singh (8th) and substitute Pebam Renedy Singh (56th) scored for Manipur while Malsawmzuala Tlangte (84th) pulled one back for Mizoram.
Manipur, thus, remained at the top of Group B with 10 points from four matches and are guaranteed a top-four finish in the standings. A draw against Delhi in their last Group B match will be enough to secure the top spot for them.
Mizoram, on the other hand, will have their task cut out on March 2 against Railways, who will also be fighting it out for a better standing in the group.
Earlier in the day, Railways beat defending champions Karnataka 1-0 with Subrata Murmu (53rd) scoring the only goal of the game.
The defeat put Karnataka's quarterfinals chances in serious jeopardy, as they have only been able to garner two points from four matches.
Railways, on the other hand, stand strong in Group B with seven points from four matches. A draw against Mizoram in their last game of the group might be enough for Railways to secure their ticket to the last eight.
