After months of pain, Inter Kashi are enjoying I-League title win despite losing in the Super Cup

It took almost five months, but when the wait for the coveted I-League trophy was over, every member of Inter Kashi cherished it, enjoying the relief after months of controversy, at the GMC Athletic Stadium here on Saturday.

Even a 0-2 defeat to Jamshedpur FC – a dead rubber in the AIFF Super Cup, which it had already exited – could not dampen the mood in the Kashi camp; it was all smiles.

The whole saga started in April when Churchill Brothers – provisionally at the top of the standings – were declared champions by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), following Kashi’s deduction of points relating to Manuel Barco’s registration.

However, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) ruled in Kashi’s favor and declared him champion in July. By then, the AIFF had completed the trophy presentation for Churchill, a ceremony for which the Goan club is yet to return.

As a result, a freshly crafted I-League trophy was presented to the Varanasi-based side by the AIFF, with Federation Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanaranan and Goa Football Association President Caitano Fernandes presenting the medals.

It is Kashi’s first piece of silverware and one that guarantees a place in next season’s Indian Super League.

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“For everyone in the club today, it is probably the biggest day, even bigger than the day we won the league, because it shows that no matter what happens, in the end the truth prevails and the federation does what is right,” said Prithijit Das, Kashi’s president. Sports stars.

It was bittersweet for Nikola Stojanovic and Sarthak Golui, both of whom spent the last season at Kashi before joining Jamshedpur FC this season. Stojanovic’s corner was headed in by Raphael Messi Bouli for the opening goal, while Golui almost scored against his former side in the dying moments of the match.

Manvir Singh added the second for Jamshedpur, who finished third in Group B.

The day’s other dead rubber in the group, between FC Goa and NorthEast United at the PJN Stadium in Margao, proved anything but dull, with a flurry of late goals in a 2-1 win for the Highlanders.

Despite starting with nine substitutions and having already qualified for the semi-finals, Goa dictated the proceedings in the first half, with Brison Fernandes and Udanta Singh regularly testing goalkeeper Dipesh Chauhan.

The match started for NorthEast United after the hour mark when Jithin replaced MS Lalbiakdika in midfield. Three minutes later his team took the lead. Jithin passed to Alaaeddine Ajaraie on his right, whose return was hit by Chema Nunez.

The skies of Margao, after a week of heavy rain, had seen constant sunlight during the day, leading to an encouraging turnout in the evening. And as the fans pushed their home team forward, the equalizer arrived within four minutes.

Brison’s shot from a tight angle was cleared onto the goal line by the NorthEast United defense but Sahil Tavora was on hand to smash it back into the net.

While NorthEast United’s chances of qualifying for the knockouts were dashed after being level in the two previous matches, this time they managed to rewrite the script.

In the 76th minute, Andy Rodriguez whipped in a cross from the left which was headed in by Robin Yadav to win the match and end NorthEast United’s Super Cup campaign on a high.

Published on November 1, 2025