A clinical India proved too hot to handle as the host beat Nepal 3-1 to romp into the final of the SAFF Women’s Football Championship, at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri on Monday.
For India, Kamala Devi opened the scoring in the 45th minute and the lead was doubled by Indumathi in the second half in the 58th minute. Nepal responded through Sabitra Bhandari as she reduced the margin in the 75th minute from a penalty. The livewire Sasmita Malik, however, completed the rout in the 83rd minute.
The first-half was totally one-sided. India was dominant all throughout, thus setting the pace of the match. The game was stretched to the flanks where both wingers, Dangmei Grace on the right and Sasmita Malik on the left, were witty, slippery, powerful and incisive.
'Team effort'
With India already having hit the upright once, Nepal, by the 25th minute, was defending quite desperately. India earned corners at regular intervals and it was quite hard to keep a track of how many were earned.
India Coach Sajid Dar described it was a “team effort which saw India through."
Speaking after the win, Sajid said: “It is hard to single out any single player. Right from the goalkeeper to our defenders to the midfielders to the strikers, everyone played their part. It was a team effort.”
India XI: Aditi Chauhan (GK), Dalima Chibber (Jabamani Tudu), Umapati Devi, Loitongbam Devi, Manisa Panna; Dangmei Grace (Sangita Basfhore), Indumathi, Premi Devi, Bala Devi (Captain), Kamala Devi (Sanju), Sasmita Malik.
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