Kathmandu, Oct 17: In the opening match of the SAFF Women’s Championship football tournament that started today in the capital, India defeated Pakistan with a score of 5-2.
The match was held at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar, where India exerted continuous pressure on Pakistan from the very beginning. In the fifth minute, Dangmei Grace scored a goal, giving India an early lead. Manisha Kalyan doubled the lead with another goal in the 17th minute.
Later, in the 35th minute of the first half, Bala Devi scored for India, and Dangmei Grace netted her second goal in the 42nd minute, bringing India’s score to 4-0 in the first half.
During the added time of the first half, Pakistan’s Suha Hirani scored via a penalty. Pakistan was awarded the penalty after India’s captain Ashalata Devi fouled Nadia Khan. By the end of the first half, India held a 4-1 lead and added one more goal in the second half.
At the beginning of the second half, Pakistan’s Kayal Mari Siddiqui scored second goal for the team, showing a glimmer of hope for Pakistan.
However, in the 78th minute, India extended their lead with a fifth goal scored by Jyoti Chauhan, finalizing the score at 5-2.
With this victory, India has secured three points in the tournament. In Group A, India is joined by Pakistan and Bangladesh, while Group B consists of Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
The first match on Friday at 1:30 PM will feature Sri Lanka vs. Maldives, followed by Nepal vs. Bhutan at 5:30 PM. #nepal #saff #football
