Bambolim (Goa) [India], October 26 : NorthEast United FC were held to a 2-2 draw by Inter Kashi in the opening clash of Group B of the AIFF Super Cup 2025-26 at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim on Sunday, as per the official website of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The two-time Durand Cup champions struck twice through Alaaeddine Ajaraie (18') and Miguel Zabaco (40') while Inter Kashi, fielding an all-Indian line-up, were first to break the deadlock through Hanmanpreet Singh (5') and again struck back through Karthik Panicker (74') to hold the Highlanders.
In what was the first-ever encounter between the two sides, both teams delivered a spirited contest despite a rainy Bambolim pitch.
The GMC Stadium saw an intense and pacey opening half. Action kicked off at the speed of light just five minutes into the game when Inter Kashi got an early breakthrough. Harmanpreet Singh slotted home a loose ball, giving the I-League champions the lead and leaving the Highlanders' backline unsettled.
The Durand Cup holders, however, found their groove soon. Spanish playmakers Chema Nunez and Andy Rodriguez threaded a series of clever moves, with Ajaraie and Parthib Gogoi creating close half-chances and putting the opponents' defence to the test while causing chaos inside the box.
NorthEast's persistence bore fruit in the 18th minute when their Moroccan forward Ajaraei fired home the equaliser with a fierce first-time shot after getting on the end of Tondonba Singh's curling cross from the left.
Capitalising on the momentum built, NorthEast dominated possession, stretching the Inter Kashi defence by utilising both flanks with consistent passes. In the 40th minute, the sustained pressing was rewarded when Miguel Zabaco's header powered past Inter Kashi keeper Shubham Dhas to give the Highlanders a 2-1 lead going into half-time.
Despite the rain, both teams came out of the tunnel strong after the break. The NorthEast defence dictated the tempo early with crisp passes between Andy, Dinesh and Redeem. Their dominance almost produced them another goal when Andy's curling free kick flew off inches over the crossbar minutes after the restart.
Inter Kashi began to grow into the game after the hour mark as their passes grew sharper and movements more coordinated. In the 66th minute, Inter Kashi's Sumeet Passi advanced on the right, attempting a long-range shot but missing the target by inches. The Highlanders looked sluggish by then, their tempo fading visibly in the rain.
The moment that Inter Kashi were waiting for arrived in the 74th minute. A rare breakdown of the NorthEast defence left space for Karthik Panicker to capitalise on by sliding the ball neatly into the net to level the score at 2-2.
NorthEast marched forward in the last 15 minutes in search of a winner, with Thoi Singh's deflected shot and Redeem Tlang's close header coming close, while the Inter Kashi defence stood tall and made no mistake.
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