SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship: India loses 1-3 to Nepal to remain on thin ice for the final

With the loss, India remains on thin ice, sitting second in the points table, level on points with Bangladesh and above only on goal difference.

India has won the first game and has drawn and lost one match each in the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship so far. | Photo Credit: AIFF

India suffered a blow in its SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship with a 1-3 loss to Nepal at the Mustafa Kamal Stadium in Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The young Blue Tigresses started the match in an aggressive fashion and got the breakthrough just after the 20-minute mark.

Kajol D’Souza drew three Nepal defenders to herself releasing Sumati Kumari and then passed it to her on her left. Sumati, marauding into the box, crossed it to Apurna Narzary, who guided the ball into the net, giving India the breakthrough.

Though Nepal trailed in the first half, it put its foot on the gas after the restart, creating chances more frequently in the final third.

Ands soon the equaliser arrived. Shubhangi Singh’s back pass for Anshika saw Amisha Karki steal the ball off the goalie and pass to Anjali Chand, who buried the ball into the net.

Anjali was involved again, after the hour mark, in a development that changed the complexion of the game.

A late kick in the box by Astam Oraon, which completely missed the ball and landed on the feet of Anjali – saw Nepal get a spot-kick. Captain Preeti Rai stepped up to slot it into the bottom left corner, despite Anshika going the right way.

With just two minutes of regulation time left, Nepal put the competition to bed when Preeti beat her marker, Hemam Shilky Devi, to cross it for Amisha for a simple tap-in.

With the loss, India remains on thin ice, sitting second in the points table, level on points with Bangladesh and above only on goal difference. Nepal, on the other hand, rose to the top of the table and is set to meet either India or Bangladesh in the final.

The host will need just a point in its next match, against bottom-placed Bhutan and India will hope for nothing less than Bangladesh’s loss to qualify for the final.