The match account says Naorem Somananda Singh opened the scoring in the 25th minute, taking advantage of a turnover to strike from outside the box. It was his third goal of the tournament, extending a productive run and giving Indian Air Force an early reward for pressing forward.
An own goal after the interval reportedly doubled the Airmen’s lead. That proved decisive: rather than needing a late winner, Indian Air Force had a cushion to protect when N.M. Aflal scored for Defenders near the end. The consolation narrowed the scoreline to 2-1, but did not change the reported outcome.
The sequence of goals points to two different tests for the sides. Indian Air Force found a route through early pressure and added a second, while Defenders managed to score late but could not erase the deficit. The final margin also means the Airmen had little breathing space once Aflal struck.
The available account offers no possession or shot figures, so the clearest measures are the scoreline and the key contributions: Singh’s continued scoring, the own goal, and Defenders’ late reply. The result is reported by a single account and should be treated cautiously.
Indian Air Force will look to carry the reported three-point return into its next Group C fixture. For Defenders, the immediate challenge is to turn a late goal into a more complete attacking performance next time out.