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We are at the business end of the Hero Sub Junior Girls’ National Football Championship, as we head into the semifinal stage of the tournament.
After gruelling couple of weeks, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh have made it to the semifinal stage of the tournament, having beaten some qualify opponents along the way. So let’s take a look at how the teams are set to square-up against each other on Tuesday, June 18.
JHARKHAND VS BIHAR
The two neighbouring states are all set to clash against each other in what could potentially be a cracker of an encounter at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, at 7.30am IST. Jharkhand came through a group where they faced a stiff challenge from Haryana, which they overcame by a 4-1 margin, while both the sides brushed aside Tripura.
Once in the quarters, Jharkhand put an astounding eight goals past Assam, to book their spot in the last four. One player that has impressed one and all for Jharkhand is Nitu Linda, who currently leads the scorer’s charts with 13 goals from three appearances.
Meanwhile, Bihar had to face two of the toughest sides on their way to the semis. They were grouped with Manipur and Delhi, but came through the group with flying colours, before the were paired against West Bengal in the quarter finals. However, they managed to eke out a 3-2 victory against their neighbours, to set up a semifinal date with Jharkhand.
GUJARAT VS ARUNACHAL PRADESH
The second match of the day kicks off at 3.30pm on the same day, as the two teams from the western and eastern reaches of the country take on each other. Gujarat came out of a tough group, where they overcame the likes of Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, and Kerala, before a late second half goal handed them the victory against Uttarakhand in the quarters.
Khushbu Kashiram Saroj has been the outstanding performer for the state from Western India, having netted eight goals in half the number of appearances.
Arunachal Pradesh also faced stiff opposition with the likes of Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh being in their group. Having made it out of their group, Arunachal eased their way past Tamil Nadu in the quarter finals with a 3-0 victory. Tallo Ana has been their most impressive player, and is very much in contention for the highest scorers’ award, having scored 12 goals from four games.
