Bodoland win 6-0 but miss out on Durand knockouts
Former India international Halicharan Narzary delivered an extraordinary individual performance with four goals and two assists, but it proved insufficient to keep Bodoland FC’s Durand Cup campaign alive. Despite crushing local rivals Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC 6-0 in their final Group F fixture at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Bodoland FC failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup.
Despite finishing second in Group F with six points from three matches, Bodoland FC missed out on a quarter-final berth as one of the best second-placed teams. East Bengal FC and Jamshedpur FC also finished with six points, but advanced courtesy of superior goal differences. Meanwhile, Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC ended their campaign without a single point for the second consecutive season.
Karbi Anglong almost sprang a surprise within 20 seconds of kick-off when Joseph Olaleye broke through, but his shot went straight into the arms of Bodoland keeper Birkhang Daimary.
Bodoland broke the deadlock when Sidhharth Khichi was fouled inside the box by Karbi Anglong keeper A. Muhammed Murshid. Narzary stepped up to the spot and calmly converted to give his side the lead.
Karbi Anglong were handed a lifeline shortly after when defender Shubham Sarangi brought down Olaleye in the Bodoland penalty area. Junior Onguene Nkengue took the penalty, but Daimary produced a fine save before reacting swiftly to deny Paogoumang Singson from the rebound.
Narzary doubled Bodoland’s lead just before the hydration break, latching onto a well-timed pass from Robinson Rendon to evade Singson and curl a low effort into the bottom corner. Daimary was called into action again before half-time, pulling off a series of impressive saves against Taison Singh, Olaleye, and Manglienboi Neihsial to preserve the two-goal cushion into the break.
Bodoland extended their lead six minutes into the second half through substitute Kaushik Daimari, who turned deftly past two defenders on the edge of the box before unleashing a precise left-footed strike.
The Bodoland skipper completed his hat-trick in the 84th minute, controlling Daimari’s cross at the far post before lifting the ball neatly over the advancing goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Narzary turned provider, swinging in a low cross from the right flank for substitute Gwgwmsar Gayary to slot home from close range.
Narzary capped off his virtuoso performance in stoppage time (90’+4), breaking Karbi Anglong’s high defensive line once more to finish cleanly and complete a four-goal haul. Narzary played a direct role in all six of Bodoland’s goals, though the resounding scoreline ultimately offered only cold comfort.
