National
Saff U-15 Championship: India rout Maldives 9-0
Indian youth team made a flying start to their Saff U-15 Championship campaign with a 9-0 rout of Maldives at the Anfa Complex on Saturday.Indian youth team made a flying start to their Saff U-15 Championship campaign with a 9-0 rout of Maldives at the Anfa Complex on Saturday.
India kept the islanders under pressure from the beginning and the thumping win has already helped them underline their title credentials.
India opened the firing in the 21st minute and were 4-0 up by the interval. Two own goals also compounded misery to Maldives whose next opponents will be hosts Nepal on Monday. India will meet Nepal on Wednesday.
Despite the convincing win, India coach Bibiano Fernandes said that his side has lot of space for improvements. “The result says we were superior but I still see some drawbacks in the team and we need to improve them before the second match,” said Fernandes referring to their second Group ‘B’ match against the hosts.
Fernandes’ Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Shaazly praised his team’s ‘spirited’ performance despite the humiliating defeat.
“I appreciate my boys for not giving up. They fought till the last minute despite conceding goals at regular interval,” he said.
Ravi Bahadur Rana was the hero for the Indian team netting a hat-trick. He put India ahead in a brilliant pass by Bekey Oram who rounded three Maldivian defenders before feeding Rana. India doubled the advantage a minute later when Mohamed Faihaan Imran netted an own goal.
Rana made it 3-0 in the 26th minute and Moirangthem Thoiba Sing added another through a header in the 41st to go 4-0 up by the break.
Rana completed his hat-trick three minutes into the second half and Ricky John Shabong made it 6-0 in the 57th, the midfielder once again set by Oram. Skipper Vikram Pratap Singh added another in the 71st minute through header.
Substitute Lalrokima, who replaced Rana in the 54th, gave 8-0 lead to India in the 80th minute. Nothing went Maldives way as defender Imran inadvertently hit at his own goal in the 87th minute.
Sri Lanka, beaten 4-0 by Bangladesh on Friday, will vie against Bhutan on Sunday.