At the Kalyani Stadium on Sunday, Howrah Hooghly Warriors defeated JHR Royal City Malda Murshidabad 3-2 in extra time to secure the inaugural Bengal Super League title, capping an exciting first season.
With excellent football, late drama, and an incredible finish, the final lived up to its hype.
After Sourav Samanta expertly stopped Akshat Shaw’s long-range attempt, the Warriors took the lead in the 32nd minute. Provided the cross from the subsequent corner, and Sheila Toure responded quickly to give their side the lead. Sukchand Kisku calmly finished in the add-on time in this first half to give JHR Royal a 1-1 parity.
In the second half, when Deep Gain headed in from a floated ball right outside of the box in the 56th minute, Howrah Hooghly Warriors regained the lead. Seconds later, the match was halted following a heavy collision between Gain and goalkeeper Samanta, leaving the Warriors midfielder unconscious and requiring immediate medical attention. After a long break, play resumed.
When MD Sumit curled in a spectacular long-range equaliser in the 95th minute, JHR Royal dramatically forced extra time.
The final minutes of extra time was the pivotal moment as penalties drew near. In the 119th minute, Kaustav Dutta scored an incredible goal straight from a corner to give the Howrah Hooghly Warriors the victory.
For head coach JoseRamirez Barreto, who won his first trophy as a head coach in his first season, the title also represented a major accomplishment.
BSL 2025–26 Awards
Best Emerging Player: Aman Yadav (U-19) (Howrah Hooghly Warriors)
Best Goalkeeper: Sourav Samanta (JHR Royal City Malda Murshidabad)
Joint Top Scorers: Richmond Owusu Kwasi (Sundarban Bengal Auto FC) and Paulo Cezar (Howrah Hooghly Warriors) – 11
Best Player: Adama Coulibaly (JHR Royal City Malda Murshidabad)
Fair Play Award: North Bengal United FC
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