Minerva Academy has scripted another memorable chapter in Indian football by defending its Gothia Cup Under-12 title in Sweden. The Chandigarh-based academy defeated Brazil’s RS Sports Yellow 2-1 in the final, adding another prestigious international trophy to its cabinet just days after winning the Helsinki Cup in Finland. The back-to-back successes underline the academy’s growing stature in world youth football and showcase the rising standard of grassroots football in India.

Minerva academy edge past Brazilian opponents in thrilling final

The Gothia Cup final proved to be a tough contest as Minerva Academy faced Brazilian outfit RS Sports Yellow. The Indian side took the lead through Kipgen Thangsanglen before the Brazilians fought back to restore parity.

With the match finely balanced, Mekhamkhraw Nongrem produced the decisive moment by scoring from a well-struck free-kick. Minerva then held firm defensively to protect their lead and seal a 2-1 victory, successfully defending the prestigious youth title.

The win marked another landmark achievement for the academy, which has built a strong reputation by consistently performing against top international opposition.

Helsinki Cup triumph set the tone

Minerva arrived in Sweden full of confidence after lifting the Helsinki Cup in Finland earlier in the tour. The Indian side defeated defending champions HJK Helsinki 1-0 in the final to claim the title after finishing runners-up in the competition last year.

That victory highlighted the team’s consistency and ability to compete with some of Europe’s best youth academies, setting the stage for another successful campaign at the Gothia Cup.

European double highlights academy’s progress

Winning both the Helsinki Cup and the Gothia Cup on the same tour is a significant milestone for Minerva Academy. The achievement reflects the success of its youth development programme and the growing quality of Indian football at the grassroots level.

The twin titles also send a strong message about the potential of young Indian footballers, who continue to prove they can compete and succeed against some of the best youth teams in the world.