Watch: India, Pakistan players clash in fiery brawl, coach Stimac gets red card after chaotic ‘Zidane moment’ at SAFF

Head coach Igor Stimac and members of the Pakistani football side had to be separated before the half-time whistle as tempers flared in India’s blockbuster clash with bitter-rivals Pakistan at the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2023 on Wednesday. Sunil Chhetri’s Team India kickstarted their campaign in the 2023 edition of the SAFF Championship with a comfortable 4-0 win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Group A at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

Minutes before the half-time whistle, head coach Stimac was shown a red card for showing dissent following a heated altercation with several players of the Pakistani camp. India head coach Stimac was visibly upset after Pakistan were awarded a throw in the 45th minute of the first half. Stimac was penalised for blocking a Pakistani throw-in which eventually triggered a huge fight between the two teams.

While India head coach Stimac was sent off, Sandesh Jhingan and Rahis Nabi received yellow cards after the ugly incident. Marcelo Schroeder Costa, the goalkeeping coach of the Pakistan men’s team, headbutted one of the members of the coaching staff during the scuffle. The ugly incident involving members of the Pakistani and Indian camps has sparked a massive debate on social media.

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Chhetri smashes hat-trick in Indo-Pak showdown

Talking more about the match, Chhetri’s Team India smashed two early goals in the first half to live up to their ‘favourites tag’ in the action-packed Indo-Pak encounter at the Kanteerava Stadium. India’s charismatic striker Chhetri netted the first two goals of the contest to put the Indian side in the driving seat. After netting a first-half brace, veteran forward Chhetri completed his hat-trick in the 74th minute of the game.

India’s campaign opener of the SAFF Championship 2023 also recorded the first appearance of the Men In Blue at the venue since 2017. India had outclassed Macau 2-0 to seal their berth for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup at the time. Hosts Inda are drawn in Group A alongside Pakistan, Nepal and Kuwait while Maldives, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Bhutan are pitted in Group B for the 2023 edition of the SAFF Championship. Chhetri’s Team India will meet Nepal in their second Group A fixture on Saturday.