The Indian U-16 National Team lost its second match of the BRICS U-17 Football Tournament as the Colts went down fighting 0-1 against South Africa at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.
Ndamolelo Radzilani’s 23rd minute header was enough to secure three points for the South Africans. Meanwhile, Nicolai Adam’s boys remain fourth in the table.
After the opening minutes of the match featured end-to-end football with neither team being able to take advantage. South Africa caught the Indian defence napping in the 23rd minute, and the ‘Amajimbos’ took the lead when Ndamolelo Radzilani headed the ball home after a swift counter-attack, much against the run of play, from the left flank.
A flurry of Indian attacks came next, but some last second South African defending, saw the Indian Colts blank infront of the opposition goal.
Aniket’s rasping shot after Aman Chetri played him on goal was denied by some acrobatic defending by the South African defence line as Luke Fleurs flew in to block Aniket’s shot.
Ten minutes later, Boris whipped in a cross from the right flank after speeding past two opposition defenders, but Aniket failed to put it away.
Nicolai Adam’s boys went into the tunnel at half-time trailing by a solitary goal to nil.
Indian Colts upped their ante in the second half and in the 54th minute Ninthoi’s shot earned an uncanny save from the South African custodian and had Aniket arrived a second early, the ball would have been home. However, the South Africa custodian recouped and gathered the ball.
Four minutes later, Aman Chetri met Sanjeev’s cross from the left flank with a header, but the African custodian pulled off another decent save.
India pressed hard for the equalizer, the Colts could not find the decisive goal and the South African defence stood strong to see out the game.
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