By Sruti Chakraborty,
AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Manipur will lock horns with Odisha in the second semi-final clash of the ongoing Hero Senior Women’s National Football Championship 2021-22 in Kerala, on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. 

The 20-time national champions defeated Assam in the first quarter-final match on Sunday (December 5) by two goals. Kiranbala Chanu (9′) and Babysana Devi (65′) helped the team reach the semi-final stage of the tournament. 

Odisha, on the other hand, ended Tamil Nadu’s fairy run in the last quarterfinal by virtue of two goals scored by Karishma Oram (27′) and Satyabati Khadia (37′). Tamil Nadu were the heavyweights coming into the quarter-final match with the likes of Sandhiya Ranganathan and Pandiselvi in their ranks but Odisha put up a brilliant team display to take the honours.

The side from the northeast had a brilliant run in the tournament, being placed in Group A with Daman & Diu, Pondicherry, and Meghalaya. They won all three of their Group Stage matches, scoring 21 and conceding none in the process. 

Meanwhile, Odisha played some beautiful football to secure the semi-final berth. Facing the likes of Haryana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, they have managed to score 18 in Group F, while conceding only one.

The second semi-final match of the Hero Senior Women’s NFC will kick off at 3 PM IST on December 7, 2021, Tuesday at the EMS Stadium, Kozhikode. The match will be streamed live on the Indian Football Team's Facebook page, and Indian Football's official YouTube channel.