Hyderabad: Kerala’s tears flowed once again in the Santosh Trophy. Bengal clinched their 33rd Santosh Trophy title by defeating Kerala with a goal in injury time. Robi Hansda scored the winning goal for Bengal. This was the 12th goal of the tournament for the Bengal player, who also emerged as the tournament's top scorer.

The match began with Bengal launching an aggressive attack at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad. Kerala’s first move came in the sixth minute, but Nazeeb’s charge with the ball was blocked by Bengal’s defense. In the 11th minute, Kerala got an opportunity when Nijo Gilbert sent in a cross, but Ajasal’s header went over the bar.

In the 30th minute, Bengal’s corner kick was saved by Kerala’s goalkeeper. In the 40th minute, Kerala earned a free kick, which Mohammed Mushrif took. The ball rebounded back to him, but he still couldn’t find the target. The first half ended with both teams locked in a goalless draw.

The second half saw numerous attacks from both sides. In the 58th minute, Bengal’s free kick narrowly missed the target. In the 62nd minute, Bengal earned another free kick just outside the box, but it too failed to hit the mark. In the 83rd minute, a favorable corner kick for Bengal led to a scramble but ultimately went out.

After regulation time, six minutes of injury time were added. During this period, Bengal found their decisive winning goal. In the 94th minute, Robi effortlessly sent the ball into the net. Soon after, Kerala earned a free kick, and fans waited with hope. However, the kick went over the crossbar.