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| December 9, 2005 | Friday | Ziqa’ad 6, 1426 |
Mahtab’s double strike spurs India
India 2…………………Nepal 1
Bangladesh 3…………..Bhutan 0
KARACHI, Deb 8: India had to dig deep before squeezing past a battling Nepal 2-1 thanks to Mahtab Hossain’s double strike in SAFF championship match that saw star striker Baichung Bhutia missing a spot kick on Thursday.
In what was being expected to be a one-sided affair became a challenge for the Indians who looked a disjointed lot in the second half at People’s Sports Complex.
While his team-mates were looking for inspiration from their captain, Bhutia was visibly rusty after a three-month layoff because of a knee injury.
But the kind of start the Indians took, it did not seem they would struggle in the second session like they did as the three-time champions troubled the Nepalese defence with probing runs deep into opposition’s half from the outset.
Indian’s domination paid dividend when Climax Lawrence squared a perfect pass from midfield to Mahtab who cashed-in on an error by Nepal goalkeeper Bikhas Malla to score from 16 yards in the sixth minute.
Nepal posed real threat to India in the 17th minute with a 20-yard shot from Basanta K. Thapa which rattled the crossbar.
Indian went 2-0 up in the 27th minute after Bhutia missed a Steven Benedict Dias back pass but Mahtab made no mistake in netting with a clinical finish.
After missing the target narrowly in the 33rd minute, Nepal gave India a rude shock three minutes later when three-touch move earned them the much-needed goal. Pradeep Maha Jan fed Surendra B. Tamang in the goal area and Thapa netted with a dipping header that gave India goalkeeper Sandip Nandy no chance.
Under Japanese coach Toshihiko Shiozwa, Nepal came with renewed vigour after the break and pinned the Indians in their own half for long period but failed to snatch the equalizer.
Nandy, almost a spectator in the first period, had to be on his toes in the second half and produced fine saves from Tamang and Maha Jan. India regained the initiative but Bhutia missed an opening, Surkumar Singh’s 20-yard drive was well-saved by Malla while Lawrence wasted a perfect opportunity from the right.
Dias provided a perfect cross only to see substitute Alvito R. C. D’Cunna taking too long to execute. India should have scored their third goal had Bhutia not wasted the spot kick, sending the ball across goal-line with a weak effort.
Earlier, two-goal Ariful Kabir Farhad gave Bangladesh a 3-0 win over Bhutan.
After keeping the possession and focusing on short passes, the Bangladeshis grabbed the lead through Farhad from the right two minutes before breather.
Bangladesh maintained their domination after the resumption and an unmarked Farhad scored from 25 yards with a rising opportunist strike that went through the Bhutan goalkeeper Jigme Singye’s hands in the 58th minute.
Bhutan were unlucky when Wangay Dorji saw his 18-yard attempt sail over the bar after touching the upper edge. Bhutan’s Passang Tshering missed a sitter, while Bangladesh’s Hasan Al Mamun landed the ball over the roof of the net.
The defending champions completed the tally when Jahid Hasan Ameli struck from 40 yards down the left to capitalize on a goalkeeping blunder by Singye.
Friday’s fixtures: Maldives v Sri Lanka at 3.15pm; Pakistan v Afghanistan at 6.00pm.
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