Bambolim (Goa), Nov 1 (IANS) Jamshedpur FC finally found the spark in the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) Super Cup 2025-26, claiming a 2-0 victory against Inter Kashi in their final Group B match at the GMC Stadium, in Bambolim, Goa, on Saturday.

Raphael Messi Bouli opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Manvir Singh sealed the game in the 81st minute for the Red Miners. Though both teams were already out of contention for a semifinal berth, the win was a morale-boosting finish for Jamshedpur FC, who ended an overall disappointing campaign on a high.

For Jamshedpur, this match was about pride. The two-time Super Cup semi-finalists and last year’s runners-up had struggled under new head coach Steven Dias, failing to win either of their opening two matches.

But on Saturday, they rediscovered their rhythm and purpose. From the outset, the Red Miners looked the sharper, hungrier side, pressing high and dictating play.

The opening minutes were cagey, with both sides probing cautiously. But by the 20th minute, Jamshedpur were firmly in control, carving spaces down the left through Raphaël Messi Bouli, whose pace and physicality repeatedly unsettled the Kashi backline.

The Cameroonian forward looked menacing, linking well with Vincy Barretto and Mohammed Sanan, and it always felt like the breakthrough would come from his flank.

That moment arrived in the 37th minute. From a well-worked corner, Nikola Stojanović whipped in a curling cross that deflected off Pronay Halder, looping invitingly inside the box. Bouli, alive to the chance, rose above his marker and powered a header past Shubham Das to make it 1-0. Inter Kashi struggled to find fluency.

Their midfield was often overrun, and their attacking transitions faltered under Jamshedpur’s relentless pressing. Apart from a few isolated runs from David Muñoz, Inter Kashi offered little threat in the first half.

The second half began with Jamshedpur maintaining their grip on proceedings. Stojanović continued to pull the strings, dictating tempo and spreading play intelligently.

Inter Kashi finally registered their first shot on target in the 62nd minute, when Muñoz’s dipping free-kick forced Albino Gomes into a sharp save. 10 minutes later, the Spaniard tested Gomes again with another set-piece, but the goalkeeper stretched brilliantly to palm it away.

Those brief flashes aside, the evening belonged to Jamshedpur. In the 69th minute, Bouli almost doubled his tally, racing clear down the left before Das came off his line to make a crucial block.

However, Inter Kashi’s resistance finally broke again in the 81st minute. Bouli turned provider this time, chesting down a long pass before laying it off to Manvir Singh, who smashed a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner to seal the result.

At 2-0, there was no way back for Kashi. The Red Miners saw out the final minutes with confidence and notched up a fine win.

–IANS

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