Odisha, Meghalaya to battle it out in Coca-Cola Cup final

Odisha and Meghalaya will battle it out Tuesday in the summit clash of the Coca-Cola Cup, a national under-15 sub-junior football tournament, at Father Agnels School, Vashi, here.

The youngsters will be showcasing their talent in front of cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and India's national football team captain Sunil Chhetri.

Over 41,000 budding footballers from 2,610 schools across 86 cities competed in this tournament over the last several months across district, zonal and state levels.

After several gruelling rounds, Meghalaya, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka's state teams made it to the semifinals held here Sunday.

The semis saw Meghalaya and Odisha emerge as winners, qualifying for the national finals.

Forty players will be shortlisted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) technical committee for the national under-16 squad.

AIFF technical director Rob Baan said, "The Coca-Cola Cup has offered the young and budding football players of our nation with a platform to demonstrate as well as hone their skills in the sport.

"The final match is the culmination of the hard work and dedication been put in by the players over the last several months. We are excited to see who wins the ultimate title of the 'Coca-Cola Cup Champions' and are looking forward to picking up a pool of talented footballers."