Minerva Punjab FC wins maiden I-League title after beating Churchill Brothers in the last game of the season. They got the crucial three points when it mattered the most as they beat Churchill Brothers 1-0 at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon on Thursday. The result also meant that Churchill were relegated to the I-League second division. The Chandigarh based franchise accumulated 35 points from 18 games to be crowned India’s top tier football league champions. They are the first North Indian side ever to win the I-League since its inception in 2007.
William Opoku Asiedu scored the decisive goal in the 15th minute and the Punjab-based outfit held on to the advantage till the end.
Going into the last day of the season, four teams were in contention for lifting the coveted trophy but it was Minerva who came on top of others as they became the first team from the Northern part of the country to lift the title in more than two decades (JCT won the inaugural National Football League in 1996-17). Mohun Bagan failed to win on the final day as they were held 1-1 by a spirited Gokulam Kerala FC.
All India Football Federation President Mr. Praful Patel congratulated Minerva Punjab Football Club.
“Congratulations Minerva Punjab Football Club on winning the I-League 2017-18 and gaining a spot in the ACL Qualifiers for the next season. The League has been a very competitive and exciting one and it was nice to see four teams having a chance to win it on the final day.” Patel said.
League table
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minerva Punjab (Champion) | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 35 | Qualification to 2019 AFC Champions League qualifier |
| 2 | NEROCA | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 32 | |
| 3 | Mohun Bagan | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 14 | +14 | 31 | |
| 4 | East Bengal | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 31 | |
| 5 | Aizawl | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 18 | +3 | 24 | |
| 6 | Shillong Lajong | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 25 | −8 | 22 | |
| 7 | Gokulam Kerala | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 23 | −6 | 21 | |
| 8 | Chennai City | 18 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 24 | −9 | 19 | |
| 9 | Churchill Brothers (R) | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 17 | Relegation to I-League 2nd Division |
| 10 | Indian Arrows | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 24 | −11 | 15 |
90 matches were played in the league and 205 goals were scored overall. Aser Pierrick Dipanda emerged as the highest goal scorer with 13 goals. Whereas Shilton Paul emerged as the best goalkeeper with 8 clean sheets.
