India vs Pakistan, SAFF Championship: Our coach was at fault but punishment harsh, says Mahesh Gawli | Football News – Times of India

BENGALURU: Unknowingly or not, Igor Stimac, India’s football coach ensured an India-Pakistan encounter would, as always, live up to its billing.
Under falling rain for this SAFF Championship marquee clash here Wednesday, the Croat crept up like some shadowy figure in a hoodie to flick the ball off Pakistan midfielder Abdullah Iqbal who had won a throw-in off Pritam Kotal.
Stimac’s meme-worthy act – the Hand of Igor – would invite a free for all along the touchline. It would require the calm head of Sunil Chhetri and his Pakistan counterpart Hassan Bashir, to prevent it from boiling over.

It would earn Stimac a straight red, referee Prajwol Chhetri of Nepal waiting for the bedlam to ebb, then brandish it with little hesitation.
Stimac, thus, stole the limelight from Chhetri who took his international tally to 90 goals by logging in an effortless
hat-trick.
The 4-0 scoreline almost became incidental – substitute Udanta Singh getting India’s fourth – as Stimac’s action cornered all the attention.
There was a Pakistan official summoned from the bench and shown a yellow card and a given a stern warning, for pushing an Indian player.

(Photo: Video grab)
Stimac would walk off in a petulant huff, but it would inadvertently push to the fore, the mild-mannered Mahesh Gawli, India’s assistant coach, to handle India’s campaign now at this regional football bragging rights meeting, being seen for India as crucial preparation for the Asian Cup next year.
“Our coach was at fault,” Gawli would say later, still insisting that the punishment was harsh.
This isn’t the first time Stimac has seen a red card as India coach. In the 2021 SAFF edition, he was missing from
the Indian bench for the final against Nepal after earning an expulsion in the previous game against the Maldives.
The on-field chaos mirrored the controversy that has surrounded the much-awaited tie.

With bilateral visits between the two sporting rivals almost having completely stopped, a Pakistan football team was playing in India after a gap of nine years. They had last visited here in 2014, but their arrival this time was marred by delays in NOCs and visas.
Pakistan could only arrive in India early on Wednesday, flying in from Mauritius via Mumbai in batches of three. The final batch could not obtain their clearances in time and landed at the venue only six hours before kick-off.
A Pakistan Football Federation appeal to have the tie moved by a day was not entertained by the tournament organisers.

(AI image)
All the drama after the match was all but over with India taking a two-goal lead inside 15 minutes.
Incidentally, Chhetri’s first international goal was also against Pakistan, back in 2005.