FC Goa (Borja Herrera 23', 51', Dejan Drazic 72') bt 0 Jamshedpur FC
Bhubaneswar, May 3: Jamshedpur FC’s inspiring 2024–25 campaign came to an end on Sunday night, as they fell 0–3 to FC Goa in the final of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium. Despite a spirited performance, the Men of Steel couldn’t convert their chances, and FC Goa punished them with three clinical goals, two from Borja Herrera and one from Dejan Drazic, to seal the title.
It was a night that began with early promise for Jamshedpur. In just 3rd minute, Jordan Murray laid it off to Javi Hernandez, who forced a save with a sharp drive from the left. But it was Goa who went ahead in the 23rd minute when Borja Herrera scored on the rebound after Stephen Eze’s initial block.
Jamshedpur’s response was swift as Ashutosh Mehta flicked a Javi corner just wide in the 36th minute, and shortly before the break, Lazar Cirkovic’s towering header struck the woodwork, agonisingly close to an equaliser.
In the second half, despite Jamshedpur pressing higher and pushing for an equaliser —Siverio’s goal ruled out for offside in the 53rd minute and a penalty appeal waved away in the 60th — ghey were hit on the counter. Herrera’s stunning strike in the 51st minute doubled Goa’s lead, and Drazic finished off a quick counterattack in the 72nd against the run of the play to seal the win.
While the final didn’t go their way, Jamshedpur FC’s season has been one of character, resilience, and identity. In the ISL, the club turned things around dramatically under Khalid Jamil, entering the semifinal and losing narrowly to champions Mohun Bagan Super Giants. That momentum carried into the Super Cup, as they beat Mumbai FC in the semi-final to reach their first-ever domestic cup final.
In an era defined by big money signings, Jamshedpur FC have stayed true to their philosophy placing faith in youth development and Indian coaching talent. With seven players in the squad from their own academy and an Indian head coach in Khalid Jamil leading the charge, the club has proven that long-term vision and hard work can compete with the best.
