The Under-12 boys’ team from India’s Minerva Academy has expanded its impressive trophy cabinet by retaining the Gothia Cup title, courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brazil’s RS Sports Yellow in an exhilarating final. This championship victory comes just days after the Chandigarh-based club captured the Helsinki Cup, putting a triumphant exclamation mark on their latest European campaign.
While their previous victory in Helsinki ended the disappointment from the previous season, this Gothia Cup campaign cemented their status at the top of youth football. Facing top global competition, Minerva reconfirmed their reputation as one of the best youth development teams currently competing on the European circuit.
Kipgen Thangsanglen opened the scoring to put Minerva ahead, but the Brazilian squad fought back to equalise. Undeterred, Mekhamkhraw Nongrem produced a stunning free-kick to restore the Indian side’s lead.
The young squad then displayed great defensive resilience to protect their advantage until the final whistle, securing back-to-back Gothia Cup titles. This victory sustains a golden era for the academy, which has spent the last two years earning widespread acclaim across Europe through clinical performances and consistent silverware.
Minerva’s dominant road to the final match
Minerva barely slowed down throughout the tournament, scoring freely from the group stage before overcoming their toughest challenge in the knockout rounds.
Tournament Results Breakdown:
Group Stage: Defeated Prep Schools Pumas Blue (England) 12-0, Lillestrom SK 3 (Norway) 13-1, and Surte IS FK (Sweden) 16-0.
Knockout Rounds: Dismantled Legacy Academy (Kenya) 6-2 in the Round of 64, followed by a 10-1 win over Prep Schools Lions (England) in the Round of 32.
Final Stages: Dispatched OFC Couronnes (France) 17-1 in the Round of 16, crushed Cancheritos FC (Bolivia) 8-0 in the quarterfinals, and edged out FC Lokomotyv Kyiv (Ukraine) 3-2 in a tight semifinal before sealing the title against the Brazilian squad.
The Gothia Cup title carries extra significance because Minerva arrived in Sweden as defending champions. Rather than being weighed down by that expectation, they embraced it, adding to an extraordinary spell in Europe that already includes triumphs at the Norway Cup and Dana Cup, alongside a famous 6-0 victory over Liverpool’s Under-15 side earlier this year.
