Aizawl FC 0
lost to
Inter Kashi 3 (Nikola Stojanovic 14’, 90’, Joni Kauko 19’)

AIFF Media Team

AIZAWL: Inter Kashi took a hugely important three points with a 3-0 victory over Aizawl FC in the I-League 2024-25 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. The winners led 2-0 at half time.

The loss deeply hurts Aizawl’s season and pushes them deeper into a relegation battle, locked on points with bottom placed Delhi FC and two points fewer than 10th-placed SC Bengaluru. 

The rough and tough match was marred with six yellow cards – four to the home side and two to Inter Kashi – and a red card to Aizawl FC team manager F Lalrinmawia.

Inter Kashi’s onslaught started as early as the third minute, when Edmund Lalrindika cut the ball inside on to his left foot before letting fly from 30 yards. His dangerously swerving shot was punched away by Md Rafique Ali Sardar. It was a sign of things to come. 

Barely 11 minutes later, Zothanpuia was adjudged to have brought down Joni Kauko inside the box, when contesting for the ball. Serbian Nikola Stojanović put away the ensuing penalty to give the visitors the lead.

Aizawl did little to break through the Kashi midfield and actually create something of their own. Inter Kashi on the other hand capitalised on a weak and dithering Aizawl defence to keep the pressure dialled on high. Kauko came close to creating an accidental second, when his cross bounced off an Aizawl defender and was heading towards goal. Despite spilling at first, Ali Sardar saw the danger away. 

There was to be no such solace in the 19th minute. A cut back from Edmund saw the ball fall to Matija Babović at the top of the box. The Serbian cut the ball inside and unleashed a low shot towards the Aizawl goal. Ali Sardar should have dealt with it easily, falling as it was right within his dive, but the keeper spilt the ball and Kauko had anticipated the error. The Finn had made his run in anticipation and slammed the rebound into the net to double their lead. 

Aizawl’s first real chance at a goal came in the 70th minute, when Lalawmpuia Sailo pounced on a loose ball outside the box to let fly. His low shot fizzed narrowly wide of the near post.  Despite Aizawl slowly growing in influence in the latter stages of the game, Inter Kashi did enough to hold them at bay.

Stojanović added a third in the final minute of the game, running through Aizawl’s porous defence from almost the halfway line, before slotting the ball into the far corner to ensure the three points.