Naoba Meitei’s dramatic stoppage-time strike helped Rajasthan United FC edge Gokulam Kerala FC 1-0 in the Indian Football League (IFL) 2025-26 at the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday.

After a goalless contest for over 100 minutes, Meitei broke the deadlock deep into injury time to secure three points for the host, which moved up to second in the table with 14 points, while Gokulam Kerala FC remained seventh with eight points. Meitei was adjudged Man of the Match.

The visitor started brightly, with Thabiso Nelson Brown testing Rajasthan captain and keeper Bhabindra Malla Thakuri early on, while Gokulam controlled possession in the opening exchanges without creating clear-cut chances.

The Desert Warriors came closest to scoring just before half-time with a flurry of chances in added time. Soukouna struck the crossbar, Thomyo L. Shimray’s header was saved, and Fernandes’ acrobatic effort was also denied by an alert Shibinraj, as the first half ended goalless.

With the match heading towards a draw, Rajasthan finally found the winner in the 101st minute. Naoba Meitei cut in from the left and unleashed a right-footed strike towards the near post, catching the goalkeeper off guard to seal a dramatic victory.

Despite Gokulam pushing forward in the closing moments, Rajasthan held firm to secure a hard-fought win in an intense encounter.

Dempo prevails over Shillong Lajong to get first win of season

Goals from Marcus Joseph, Kapil Hoble and Richmond Kwasi Owusu helped Dempo SC register its first win of the Indian Football League season, a comfortable 3-0 triumph against Shillong Lajong FC at the PJN Stadium in Goa on Tuesday.

Shillong Lajong enjoyed majority of possession throughout the game but struggled to convert it into clear chances, as Dempo maintained a disciplined defensive shape. The result marked Dempo SC’s first win of the season, taking them to six points, while Birendra Thapa’s side remained fourth with 11 points.

Published on Apr 07, 2026