India has headed to the finals in the “Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021” after beating Maldives during Wednesday’s game.
Although Maldives had the chance to secure a spot in the finals if the game ended in a tie, Wednesday night’s game ended with India winning with a score of 3 – 1.
India dominated the game since the beginning, with forward Sunil Chhetri attempting to score with an overheard kick 18 minutes in, to no avail. Chhetri’s second attempt in the 26th minute hit the goal post.
The winning team took the lead 33 minutes in, with a score by Manvir Singh.
In the last minute of the first half, the Maldives team was brought back into the game with a score by Ali Ashfaq. It was also the football star’s first score in a match against India, in his career. It was his third goal in the ongoing championship.
Chhetri broke the tie in the 62nd minute of the game, expanding the lead just seven minutes later with another excellent score.
India’s Head coach Igor Stimac was kicked off the field after being red-carded followed by a yellow card for protesting the referee’s decisions relentlessly. The team’s Subhasish Bose was also given a red card, which means that neither he nor Coach Stimac will be present at the finals.
India will face Nepal in the Finals, on October 16. Nepal went through to the finals after tying with Bangladesh during Wednesday evening’s game.
India currently tops the league table with eight points, followed by Nepal with seven points. Maldives falls to second place with six points. Fourth comes Bangladesh with five points and Sri Lanka falls to the bottom of the table with just one point.
With Maldives’ loss in Wednesday’s game, Coach Ali Suzain has taken full responsibility for it, stating that he is just as distressed on the team’s failure to make it to the finals, as the supporters are. He also noted that there is no reason why locals cannot be fit to coach the national team.
Maldives brought home the championship for the first time in 2008. The country also brought home the cup in the last SAFF championship held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2018. That time Maldives beat India in the finals.
