ISL 2025-26: SC Delhi Hold Inter Kashi in Gritty Goalless Draw as Nora Fernandes Shines

Sporting Club Delhi and Inter Kashi shared the points after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in their ISL 2025-26 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

While the scoreline remained blank, the contest was far from uneventful. Inter Kashi enjoyed the better attacking moments throughout the game and created several dangerous opportunities, but a superb goalkeeping performance from SC Delhi’s Nora Fernandes ensured the hosts escaped with a point.

Fernandes was deservedly named Player of the Match after producing six important saves, including several crucial interventions during sustained Inter Kashi pressure in both halves.

The draw moved Inter Kashi to ninth place in the standings with 13 points from 12 matches, while Sporting Club Delhi climbed to 11th with 11 points from the same number of games. Inter Kashi began the game with far greater urgency and looked sharper immediately after kickoff. The visitors dominated possession early and repeatedly tested the SC Delhi defensive structure through quick passing combinations and aggressive attacking movement.

Rohit Danu was among the first to threaten, forcing Fernandes into action with a long-range strike from outside the box. Soon after, Mohammed Asif and Seiminlen Doungel also came close as Inter Kashi continued to push numbers forward. Despite the pressure, SC Delhi remained compact defensively. Captain Ashutosh Mehta and Clarence Fernandes organised the backline well, limiting clear central spaces and forcing Inter Kashi into difficult shooting angles.

The visitors still looked the more dangerous side though, particularly through Spanish attacker Alfred Planas, who was heavily involved throughout the first half. Planas repeatedly found pockets of space in the attacking third and tested the SC Delhi defense with his movement and link-up play.

In the 37th minute, Planas thought he had finally broken the deadlock after finishing a move inside the penalty area, but the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee raised the flag for offside. Inter Kashi continued pressing for the opener before halftime and came extremely close from a set-piece situation. A dangerous corner delivery found Narender Gahlot unmarked at the far post, but the defender failed to connect properly from close range.

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Moments later, Planas forced another excellent save from Nora Fernandes deep into stoppage time as the SC Delhi goalkeeper continued to frustrate the visitors.

Despite Inter Kashi’s dominance, the first half ended goalless. SC Delhi emerged with far more attacking intent after the restart. The hosts made three changes at halftime and immediately started pressing higher up the pitch in an attempt to disrupt Inter Kashi’s rhythm. That tactical adjustment briefly changed the momentum of the contest.

Augustine Lalrochana nearly gave SC Delhi the lead early in the second half after cutting inside and unleashing a left-footed effort that drifted narrowly wide of the post. For a short spell, the home side looked far more confident in possession and began committing additional bodies forward. Abdul-Halik Hudu also linked well with Augustine during transitional moments, although the final ball continued to let the hosts down.

Gradually though, Inter Kashi regained control of midfield.

Midfielder Sergio Llamas began dictating the tempo once again, spreading passes into wide areas and creating openings through patient buildup play. The visitors repeatedly threatened through set-pieces and second-ball situations around the box. One of the best opportunities of the second half arrived when Llamas released Planas for another attempt on goal, only for Fernandes to once again react sharply and parry the effort away.

As the match entered its closing stages, Inter Kashi increased the pressure further in search of a late winner.

Substitute Prasanth K delivered an inviting cross into the box in the 79th minute, but Nauris Petkevičius failed to guide his header on target. Narender Gahlot also came close again later in the match, forcing Fernandes into another important punch away from goal following a dangerous aerial delivery.

SC Delhi’s defensive line continued throwing bodies in front of shots during the final minutes as Inter Kashi launched wave after wave of attacks around the penalty area. The visitors’ final opportunity arrived deep into stoppage time when Sergio Llamas attempted an ambitious strike from distance, but the effort sailed high over the crossbar. Ultimately, neither side managed to produce the decisive moment required to separate them.

For Inter Kashi, the result may feel slightly frustrating considering the volume of opportunities created across the match. Their attacking movement and midfield control were impressive for long periods, but the inability to convert chances once again proved costly.

For SC Delhi, however, the draw represented a valuable defensive effort against one of the more organised attacking units in the league. Most importantly, the performance of Nora Fernandes provided a major positive for the hosts. In a game where Inter Kashi often looked capable of finding the breakthrough, the goalkeeper’s composure and shot-stopping ensured SC Delhi stayed alive throughout the contest.

In the end, both sides were forced to settle for a point in a match defined more by defensive resilience and goalkeeping quality than attacking efficiency.