Jaipur: Substitute Pangambam Naoba Meitei and in-form forward Amadou Soukouna struck a goal each in the second half as Rajasthan United Football Club (RUFC) drubbed Chanmari FC 2-0 to jump to the top of the Indian Football League (IFL) table at the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium here on Wednesday.The third win of the season boosted Desert Warriors’ points tally to 11 from six outings and strengthened their chances of qualifying for the second stage — Super Six — of the high-profile league.Chanmari FC remained in eighth place with five points from the same number of matches after crashing to their third defeat in IFL.After a barren first half, RUFC head coach Vikrant Sharma introduced Meitei at half-time, and the change paid off within seven minutes of the resumption for the home team.The young winger picked up the ball on the edge of the box, dribbled past Degelman, and from an acute angle came up with an excellent finish past the Chanmari custodian to give his side a 1-0 advantage.The RUFC doubled their lead eight minutes later through a stunning long-range strike from Soukouna. After grabbing the ball back in midfield, Gautam Virwani played a simple forward pass to the French striker, who, with a clear sight of goal, unleashed a powerful drive from distance to beat the outstretched hands of rival goalkeeper.The tall French striker Soukouna was adjudged the ‘player of the match’ for the fourth time in the season, underlining his consistent impact for the team.The result marks an important win for Rajasthan United FC in their second-last home match of the stage, boosting confidence and momentum as the team approaches the final home fixture.Speaking after the match, Vikrant Sharma expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “I’m very pleased with the way the players executed the plan today. We showed patience in the first half and came back stronger in the second. This win is important for our momentum, and now our focus shifts to finishing strong in our final home match.”The RUFC will next face Gokulam Kerala FC in their upcoming fixture on April 7, which will also mark their final home tie of the stage, as the team looks to continue its strong run of form and finish on a high in front of their supporters.KK Tak, chairman of Rajasthan United FC, also praised the team’s effort, stating, “The team has shown great character and determination. Performances like these reflect the hard work behind the scenes. We look forward to carrying this energy into the next game.” He further extended his sincere gratitude to all the distinguished dignitaries for gracing the occasion with their presence and supporting the club. The club also expresses heartfelt appreciation to the fans for their unwavering support, which continues to uplift the team in every match.The match was graced by several distinguished dignitaries. The chief guests included Babulal Kharadi, Cabinet Minister, Government of Rajasthan, and Prasad Mahankar, National Organising Secretary, Kreeda Bharti. The guest of honour was Praveen Gupta, Chairman, Rajasthan State Sports Council and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), PWD and Youth Affairs/Sports.The event was further attended by esteemed special guests including Roshni Tak, Managing Director, Rajasthan United FC; Kusum Yadav, Former Mayor, Heritage Rajasthan; Ram Prasad, Senior Pracharak, RSS and Patron; Pramod Sharma, businessman and social activist; Ajay Yadav, Vice President, BJP Jaipur City; Rakhi Rathore, President, BJP Rajasthan Mahila Morcha; and Dilip Singh Shekhawat, Secretary, Rajasthan Football Association.
