FC Goa secured their spot in the final of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 with an emphatic 3-1 win over Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
FC Goa will take on Jamshedpur FC in the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 final on Saturday, May 3 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The Kick-off is at 8:00 pm. Jamshedpur FC scored a 1-0 win over Mumbai City FC in their semi-final clash later in the evening.
On what was a landmark evening for head coach Manolo Marquez, who took charge of his 61st competitive game for the club to become the most experienced head coach in FC Goa’s history, Brison Fernandes, Iker Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera scored the goals that helped the team overcome the Mariners’ challenge.
The Gaurs got off to a bright start and broke the deadlock in the 20th minute through Brison Fernandes. A cleverly worked set-piece routine on the right saw Borja Herrera and Boris Singh exchange passes before Borja delivered a precise curling cross into the box. Brison rose high and managed a touch that sent the ball past a rooted Dheeraj Singh into the far corner of the net.
Mohun Bagan responded swiftly. Just four minutes later, Ashique Kuruniyan beat Boris on the left flank and drilled in a low cross. Goa captain Odei Onaindia missed his interception, and Suhail Bhat, arriving unnoticed at the back, turned the ball in past Hrithik Tiwari to make it 1-1.
After the break, FC Goa stepped up the tempo. In the 50th minute, Dejan Drazic raced into the box and was brought down in a 1v1 by a mistimed challenge from Dheeraj, winning a clear penalty.
Iker Guarrotxena stepped up and calmly slotted home, taking his tally to 11 goals in the 2024–25 season – and four in this tournament, making him the leading scorer of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025.
Just eight minutes later, Borja Herrera added Goa’s third in sensational fashion, scoring directly from a corner – an Olimpico. His delivery from the left side curled menacingly toward goal, and with Dheeraj completely misjudging its flight, the ball flew straight in.
The Men in Orange controlled the game thereafter, stifling any hopes of a Mohun Bagan comeback and sealing a memorable victory that takes them one step closer to silverware and the lone slot available for next season’s AFC Champions League 2.
The win further marked a special moment for Manolo Marquez, whose 61st match in charge of FC Goa now makes him the longest-serving head coach in the club’s history in terms of matches managed – overtaking the record previously held by Sergio Lobera.
