SAFF Cup, India vs Maldives as it happened: Poojary and Manvir give India 2-0 win
Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh bagged their maiden international goals.
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INDIA 2-0 MALDIVES
Nikhil Poojary (37’)
Manvir Singh (45’)
Sri Lanka meanwhile will get knocked out due to the toss of a coin. Maldives will face Nepal in the semi-final.
Maldives 🇲🇻 win the toss and will go through to the semi-final of the #SAFFSuzukiCup.
— SAFF Suzuki Cup (@SAFFSuzukiCup) September 9, 2018
India are through to the semi-finals against Pakistan. The two neighbours will face off on Wednesday evening.
A dramatic day of football brings #SAFFSuzukiCup18's Group A matches to an end. Nepal 🇳🇵 and Pakistan 🇵🇰 move ahead to the semi-final with hosts Bangladesh 🇧🇩 crashing out on goal difference.#SAFFSuzukiCup pic.twitter.com/U6N2P5Ow0J
— SAFF Suzuki Cup (@SAFFSuzukiCup) September 8, 2018
Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh with two goals, enough for this SAFF Cup win. Stephen Constantine will be satisfied with twin 2-0 wins over Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Full-time and it’s 2-0 to India.
The Blue Tigers are through to the semi-finals of the SAFF Cup. The sub-continental heavyweights do it again on this evening.
FT: That's it. We're through to the semi-finals of @SAFFSuzukiCup with 6 points from two matches. Up to the semi-finals on Sep12, 2018.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
90’: India 2-0 Maldives
We have five minutes of this wonderful football action left. We are deeply sad indeed.
87’: Substitution for India. They lead Maldives 2-0.
Nikhil Poojary, the goalscorer is taken off for Hitesh Sharma.
Meanwhile, we’re sure that Kaith save sent shockwaves through Deutscheland.
82' @vishalkaith01 does a Nueur now. Heads the ball away to keep the attacker on check.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
78’: India 2-0 Maldives
Vishal Kaith comes out and keeps his clean sheet intact.
78' @vishalkaith01 shows his character now. An outright warrior he is. The goalie outsprints the @MaldivesFA attacker to grab the ball. Scoreline remains same.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
74’: India 2-0 Maldives
Maldives continue to attack the Indian goal in this 2nd half as this game meanders to a close. We’re sure the patrons at the Bangabandhu Stadium are as thrilled at this display of football as we are.
74' tensed moments for Indian dugout as @MaldivesFA take the challenge to the defending champions now. A good contest on the field.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
67’: India 2-0 Maldives
The game’s pace has tailed off in the second half, with the ball being bogged down in midfield.
63’: India 2-0 Maldives
Maldives with a substitution. India have made their first sub at half-time.
53’: India 2-0 Maldives
Farukh Choudhary is through on goal but it is unable to finish. Meanwhile, the handle has a piece of sagely advice for Davinder. ‘CALM DOWN’, it says.
53' Calm down, @Davinder32. A challenge by the youngster and the referee flashes the yellow for him.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
52’: India 2-0 Maldives
India have a corner. Thapa to take it.
52' @AnirudhThapa takes a short free-kick to provide @nikhilcpoojary some free space and the scorer earns a corner. Skipper is up to take it.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 2-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
46: India 2-0 Maldives
The half resumes, with Vignesh D substituting Lallinzuala Chhangte.
HALF TIME 🇮🇳 2-0 🇲🇻
— SAFF Suzuki Cup (@SAFFSuzukiCup) September 9, 2018
India has a comfortable two-goal lead. The Maldives need a goal to stay in the competition. Can they get it in the second half? #SAFFSuzukiCup #INDvsMDV pic.twitter.com/Y1KmBvJCzB
Half-time: India 2-0 Maldives
Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh have bagged the goals for team India. With this scoreline, India are going through to the semi-finals.
45+1’: India 2-0 Maldives
India almost concede from a Maldives counter as Hasan just puts his shot wide of Kaith’s goal. The Indian defence were asleep and almost paid for it.
45’: GOAALLL!! India 2-0 Maldives
Manvir Singh receives a ball from Thapa, rounds the keeper and scores. It’s terrible defending from Maldives but India won’t mind. 2-0 to India.
43’: India 1-0 Maldives
The Indian football team’s official handle confirms that Nikhil Poojary becomes the second ‘boy’ (man?) to slot in his maiden international goal during this SAFF Cup.
36' @nikhilcpoojary !!!! Boy oh boy. The lightning pace, an immaculate 1-2 wiith @choudharyfar8 and BOOM!!!! Welcome to the group boy. After Ashique Kuruniyan, now @nikhilcpoojary scores his maiden goal for @IndianFootball.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 1-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
37’: GOAALLL!! India 1-0 Maldives
Nikhil Poojary driving in from the right, passes it to Farukh Choudhary and gets it back. The 22-year-old has a kind deflection on the return pass to thank and slots it in with his left.
34’: India 0-0 Maldives
Salam Ranjan with a chance as Thapa’s ball is played to him in the box. He spins but the shot is poor.
32’: India 0-0 Maldives
Maldives with a shot at Vishal Kaith’s goal but it is saved. Poojary’s chance still the biggest of the evening.
23’: India 0-0 Maldives
We’re not sure about any screw tightening but India with a sustained spell of passing but it ends with Jerry lobbing the ball into the opposition keeper’s arms.
23' @JerryRinzuala and Chhangte have tightened the screw on the left wing, although they haven't been able to breach the @MaldivesFA defence so far.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
IND 0-0 MDV#INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
18’: India 0-0 Maldives
Another corner for Maldives. It’s safe to say that barring the Poojary chance, they have dominated the opening exchanges.
11’: India 0-0 Maldives
Poojari with a free header inside the box as Thapa delivers a good cross to the far post. The header is wayward.
9’ Absolute madness. @nikhilcpoojary floats a ball and the defender miscues it to hit the crossbar. Off the rebound, Nikhil tries to head it home but eventually, it goes out of bounce. #INDvMDV #BackTheBlue #AsianDream
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
10’: India 0-0 Maldives
Bizarre scrambled in the Maldives box almost results in India going ahead from a poor clearance. Arif’s header clatters the crossbar and Maldives survive.
5’: India 0-0 Maldives
Maldives have started this game very positively. They’ve taken the game to the Indians and Subhasish Bose has been called into action a couple of times.
6:30 pm: India 0-0 Maldives.
We have kick-off.
6:25 pm: There are four changes to the side that defeated Sri Lanka. Manvir Singh comes in for Sumeet Passi, as does Jerry Lalrinzuala for Sajid Dhot with Subhasish Bose moving to centre-back.
Goalscorer Kuruniyan is replaced by Nikhil Kadam. There’s another change in defence as Davinder Singh is in for Sarthak Golui.
Starting XI#AsianDream #BackTheBlue #WeAreIndia pic.twitter.com/7oETsc8TiD
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 9, 2018
Welcome to the Field’s live blog for the SAFF Cup match between India and Maldives. Stephen Constantine’s team had beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 before hand, with goals from Lallinzuala Chhangte and Ashique Kuruniyan sealing victory.