Punjab FC ease past Jamshedpur FC to clinch AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League title

ANI May 14, 2025 232 views

Punjab FC secured a dominant 4-1 win over Jamshedpur FC in the AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League final. Four first-half goals, including strikes from Karish Soram and Ashish Lohar, sealed the victory. The team had a strong tournament run, including a 6-2 semi-final win over Bengal Football Academy. Coached by Ramesh Gangaram Bista, Punjab FC showcased their attacking prowess throughout the competition.

"Four first-half goals ensured Punjab FC eased past Jamshedpur FC to clinch the title." – Punjab FC Press Release
Guwahati, May 14: Four first-half goals ensured Punjab FC (PFC) eased past Jamshedpur FC (JFC) 4-1 to clinch the AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League 2024-25 title in the final played here at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.

Key Points

1

Punjab FC scored four goals in 11 minutes

2

Karish Soram opened the scoring in the 28th minute

3

Ashish Lohar and Vikash Kisku added quickfire goals

4

Usham Thoungamba Singh sealed the win before halftime

Goals from Karish Soram, Ashish Lohar, Vikash Kisku and Usham Thoungamba Singh within a space of 11 minutes ensured they secured the title, as per the Punjab FC press release.

Karish Soram opened the scoring with a composed finish in the 28th minute, setting the tone for a dominant first half. Ashish Lohar doubled the lead after six minutes, capitalising on a defensive lapse. Vikash Kisku then added a third just three minutes later, with an excellent close control finish from inside the box. The fourth goal came from Usham Thoungamba Singh in the 39th minute with a clinical strike to all but seal the match before the break.

Punjab FC finished second in Group A of the Final Round matches, winning two and losing one to qualify for the knockouts of the league. They started the final round stage with a 5-0 win over Sudeva Delhi FC and followed it up with another dominant 6-0 victory over FC Goa. In the final group stage game, to decide the group stage winners, they went down to AIFF FIFA Talent Academy 4-5, in a nine goal thriller.

The Cubs displayed another dominant performance to get the better of Bengal Football Academy 6-2, with Sameer scoring a hat-trick and Vishal Yadav scoring a brace. Usham Thoungamba Singh scored the other goal for the winners.

The semi-finals saw another nail biter with, Punjab FC edging past FC Madras 3-2, after being 1-2 down with the help of goals from Ashish Lohar, Vishal Yadav and Thongram Rishikanta Singh to send them to the finals.

The Ramesh Gangaram Bista-coached side qualified for the final round of the tournament after finishing on top of the Zonal Round qualifiers, with seven wins, two draws, and just one loss. They scored 40 goals and conceded just four on the way to topping the group and qualifying for the final round. They played Delhi FC, Sudeva Delhi FC, Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, Minerva Academy FC, and Sri Dashmesh Martial Sports Academy in the zonal qualifiers.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the Punjab FC victory article:
R
Rahul K.
What a performance by Punjab FC! Scoring 4 goals in just 11 minutes shows incredible attacking quality. The future of Indian football looks bright with talents like Karish Soram and Usham Singh. Hope ISL clubs give these youngsters proper opportunities soon! 🇮🇳⚽
P
Priya M.
As someone from Jamshedpur, this hurts 😢 But credit where it's due - Punjab FC played like champions. That 40-4 goal difference in qualifiers is insane! Coach Bista is doing amazing work with these boys. Maybe our JFC senior team can learn something from their youth setup.
A
Amit S.
The real story here is how many goals these kids are scoring! 6-2, 6-0, 5-0 wins... This isn't normal in youth football. AIFF should study Punjab FC's training methods and replicate them nationwide. Our problem has always been finishing - these boys have solved it!
S
Sunita R.
So happy to see players from Northeast like Usham Thoungamba Singh shining! Football is truly uniting India. Just imagine if we had proper infrastructure in every state... We could become Asian champions in 10 years. Government should invest more in sports academies.
V
Vikram J.
While the win is impressive, we shouldn't get carried away. Remember how our U-17 World Cup team faded later? These boys need proper guidance to transition to senior football. Hope Punjab FC doesn't just celebrate but also plans their development roadmap carefully.
N
Neha P.
That 4-5 loss to AIFF Academy must have been an incredible match! 9 goals in one game 😲 Makes me wish there was better coverage of youth football. Star Sports/Disney should broadcast these tournaments instead of just showing European leagues on repeat.

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Punjab FC Jamshedpur FC AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League Indian football youth football