SAFF Championship 2021: Record-equalling Sunil Chhetri’s late strike helps India edge Nepal

With
this
win,
India
are
now
in
the
third
spot
on
the
Group
table
with
five
points,
just
one
behind
Maldives
and
Nepal,
both
of
whom
have
acquired
six
points
each.

India
started
off
on
the
front
foot,
winning
their
first
corner
of
the
match
as
early
as
in
the
third
minute.
The
Nepali
defence
was
up
to
the
task
though,
as
they
cleared
the
ball
that
was
swung
in
by
Brandon
Fernandes.

An
interesting
battle
ensued
between
the
two
captains,
Sunil
Chhetri
and
Kiran
Kumar
Limbu
in
the
opening
exchanges.
India
constantly
tried
to
feed
the
ball
to
Chhetri
on
multiple
occasions,
but
Limbu
stepped
out
as
well,
to
nip
the
chances
in
time.

????️

@chetrisunil11:
We
have
done
a
lot
of
things,
right,
and
we
need
to
improve
a
lot
of
other
things.
We
are
still
alive
in

#SAFFChampionship2021
????,
and
we
will
keep
improving
????#NEPIND
⚔️

#BackTheBlue
????

#BlueTigers
????

#IndianFootball
⚽

pic.twitter.com/JBrXM6yc5v

—
Indian
Football
Team
(@IndianFootball)

October
10,
2021

A
little
under
the
20-minute
mark,
Chhetri
managed
to
control
an
aerial
ball
inside
the
box,
and
got
his
shot
away,
but
he
was
shepherded
to
a
tight
angle
by
the
defence
and
Limbu
managed
to
parry
it
away.

India
had
launched
most
of
their
attacks
down
the
right-wing,
but
as
the
clock
neared
the
half-hour
mark,
Suresh
found
Brandon
on
the
left
with
a
cross-field
switch
over.
The
midfielder
turned
a
defender,
cut
inside,
and
unleashed
a
shot,
which
went
wide.

India
had
their
best
chance
of
the
first
half
in
the
34th
minute,
when
Suresh
was
fed
through
inside
the
box
by
Pritam
Kotal.
The
midfielder
flashed
a
low
cross
across
goal
to
Chhetri,
who
was
waiting
unmarked
at
the
far
post.
However,
a
slight
touch
by
Limbu
scuppered
the
chance,
as
the
India
captain’s
eventual
shot
went
agonisingly
wide.

With
two
minutes
of
regulation
time
in
the
first
half
left,
Chhetri
created
another
chance,
when
he
nodded
a
Suresh
cross
into
the
path
of
Manvir
Singh,
who
tried
to
control
the
ball,
but
was
muscled
off
it,
as
the
two
teams
went
into
the
break
with
the
score
still
remaining
0-0.

The
Blue
Tigers
continued
much
in
the
same
vein
in
the
second
half,
passing
the
ball
around
the
park
and
looking
to
prise
open
the
Nepal
defence.
They
earned
a
free
kick
just
outside
the
penalty
box,
10
minutes
into
the
second
half.
Brandon
Fernandes,
who
took
the
free-kick,
sent
it
inches
over
the
bar.

Manvir
Singh
had
another
chance,
this
time
off
a
cross
by
Yasir,
as
the
forward
produced
a
textbook
header,
hard
into
the
ground,
but
Nepal
captain
Kiran
Limbu
again
produced
a
diving
save.
That
was
the
last
piece
of
action
for
Manvir,
who
was
replaced
by
Udanta
Singh,
while
Anirudh
Thapa
came
on
for
Suresh
Wangjam.

Yasir
soon
cut
inside
from
the
right
and
unleashed
a
vicious
long
ranger,
but
it
went
wide.
Soon
after,
he
was
replaced
by
Farukh
Chaudhury,
while
Liston
Colaco
came
on
for
Mandar
Rao
Dessai.

Subhasish
had
a
brilliant
opportunity
to
snatch
the
lead,
when
Chhetri’s
header
off
a
Brandon
set-piece
fell
to
Subhasish,
who
sent
in
a
powerful
header,
but
it
was
straight
into
Linbu’s
torso.

Brandon’s
set-pieces
were
a
menace
as
Chhetri
broke
free
of
his
marker
and
managed
to
get
a
free
header
onto
another
of
the
midfielder’s
corners,
but
his
header
that
was
directed
to
the
ground,
went
over.

With
eight
minutes
of
regulation
time
left
on
the
clock,
it
was
none
other
than
captain
Sunil
Chhetri,
who
broke
the
deadlock.
Substitute
Farukh
Choudhary
headed
an
aerial
through
ball
by
Brandon
onto
Chhetri’s
path,
as
the
India
captain
volleyed
it
home
with
his
left
foot.

India
having
scored
a
late
first
goal,
Nepal
mounted
on
the
attacks,
looking
for
the
equaliser.
Anjan
Bista
managed
to
penetrate
the
box
and
got
his
shot
away
with
a
few
minutes
of
regulation
time
to
go,
but
it
failed
to
trouble
India
goalkeeper
Gurpreet
Singh
Sandhu.

Soon
after
Ayush
Ghalan
looked
to
find
some
space
for
his
teammates
with
a
dangerous
cross,
but
Gurpreet
came
out
of
his
line
and
collected
it
calmly.
India
saw
off
the
late
charge
by
Nepal
as
the
three
minutes
of
injury
time
came
to
a
close,
and
the
referee
blew
the
long
whistle,
signalling
the
end
of
the
game.

The
Blue
Tigers
will
play
their
final
Group
Stage
game
against
hosts
Maldives
on
Wednesday,
October
13,
2021,
at
the
same
venue.
The
match
kicks
off
at
9.30
PM
IST.

(AIFF
Media)