Punjab FC finish RFDL Japan exposure tour with two wins

–        Loses out narrowly on penalties in their final match against FC Baleine Shimonoseki

Punjab FC – 1 (5) (Singamayum Shami 38’)

FC Baleine Shimonoseki – 1 (6) (Koyama 90+2’)

Nogihama Park, Shimonoseki, Japan, 20th July 2026: Roundglass Punjab FC have concluded their highly successful Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) Japan Tour 2026 with a narrow 5-6 loss in sudden death against FC Baleine Shimonoseki after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time at Nogihama Park on Monday, July 20, 2026. Following their resounding 5-0 thrashing of Avispa Fukuoka U18 and a commanding 3-1 victory over Giravanz Kitakyushu, ‘The Shers’ entered their final fixture aiming to complete a perfect tour. While the penalty shoot-out did not go their way, the Indian side finished the exposure tour unbeaten in regulation time.

The first half was a fiercely contested affair characterised by numerous aerial duels in the middle of the park. Punjab FC gradually asserted their authority and nearly broke the deadlock early on. Omang Dodum found himself in a brilliant position and struck a powerful effort, but a couple of Baleine Shimonoseki defenders combined incredibly well to produce an excellent goal-line clearance. However, the persistent pressure from Punjab finally paid dividends in the 38th minute, resulting in a wonderfully crafted team goal. The move started with Bishu Sharma, who played an excellent ball through to Vishal Yadav. Operating with supreme vision, Vishal delivered a precise assist to Singamayum Shami, and the prolific forward produced a perfect finish to give his side the lead. It was Shami’s fourth goal of the tournament, highlighting his lethal form on this tour.

The Shers continued to fashion openings and almost doubled their advantage right before the interval. Omang created another fantastic opportunity for himself, unleashing a stunning right-footed strike, but the Baleine goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save to keep the scoreline at 1-0. For the third consecutive time on this tour, the half-time statistics were a fair reflection of Punjab FC’s sheer dominance. They bossed the opening 45 minutes, boasting 56 per cent possession while registering three shots on target and creating nine clear chances. The second half began on a slightly scrappy note, with a lack of goalmouth action in the initial stages as both teams battled for midfield supremacy. Punjab soon regained their momentum and resumed creating chances, dictating the tempo as they looked to comfortably see out the 1-0 victory.

However, late drama unfolded deep into stoppage time. In the 92nd minute (90+2′), against the run of play, the Japanese outfit managed to pull one back through Koyama. It was a harsh blow for the Shers in a match that could easily have ended 2-0 in their favour based on the balance of play. With the scoreline locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, the match proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out. Despite a valiant effort from the boys from Punjab, the home side edged the spot-kicks 6-5.