Santosh trophy group stage

Santosh Trophy Group Stage: Out of the 36 states and two institutional sides jumping into the fray, eight teams remain in the “City of Pearls,” determined to grab the coveted Santosh Trophy, considered the jewel of the country’s National Football Championship since 1941. With eight teams ready to deliver the knock-out punch on each other, the quarterfinal stage will be played over two days from Thursday.

A meeting between defending champions Services and 2022-23 runners-up Meghalaya is a fascinating battle on the cards. Services, who are aiming to defend the title for the first time since 2015-16, didn't start in the best possible manner as they went down 0-1 to Manipur.

However, three successive and convincing wins put them back on track for the knockout stages. But Monday's defeat to West Bengal threw off that momentum and they had to settle for third place in Group A.