A ten-man India U20 team qualified for the SAFF U20 Championship final after defeating Maldives in their final league match on Tuesday at the Kalinga Stadium.
India, who finished with 9 points, will face Bangladesh U20 in the final on August 5. Bangladesh U20 drew 1-1 with Nepal U20 in their previous match.
Gurkirat Singh, a substitute, made the difference between the two teams, smashing it into the net in the 89th minute. Gurkirat’s rasper bulged the net from inside the box, and Parthib Gogoi’s grounder found a deflection.
Despite their dominance and penetration, which saw chances fall their way in both halves, the Indian colts, who had scored 8 in their previous match against Nepal U20, remained guilty of failing to capitalise on the opportunities they created. In the 67th minute, they even hit the crosspiece.
The Indian colts, on the other hand, were dealt a blow when forward Parthib Gogoi, the tournament’s leading goal scorer, was sent off in the 90th minute.
The first real chance for India came in the 15th minute. Maheson got past one defender, ran into an open area, and played it between the defenders for Himanshu Jangra to cause confusion in the opposing defence.
Himanshu’s shot was blocked first, and Parthib Gogoi’s shot was blocked as a result of the clearance. Even when it fell to Himanshu again, he couldn’t slot it into the net due to the melee.
Himanshu set it up for Parthib, who sped down the right, entered the box, and off the resulting clearance, Himanshu’s stabbing shot was palmed away by the opposing goalkeeper Yoosuf Abdullah.
Maldives had previously been content to defend in numbers, so Head Coach Shanmugam Venkatesh made a double substitution in the 31st minute itself, with striker Gurkirat Singh replacing an injured Raj Basfore and Vinay Harji replacing Vibin Mohanan.
Six minutes later, Gurkirat was in the thick of things, but Yoosuf stooped low to collect the free-kick.
Himanshu entered the box in the 42nd minute, ducked past his marker, but Yousuf saved his left-footer for a corner. Himanshu then squandered the easiest chance of the first half. A loose ball fell to him all in the clear. However, he went for power and missed the mark.
An unchallenged Maheson Singh had another chance in added time when he latched on to an Amandeep cross but failed to convert as both teams went into the half goalless.
India made an immediate inroad after switching over, but Himanshu’s shot sailed over. The Indians were attacking in force by this point, but the goal remained elusive.
Shubho Paul replaced Sibajit Leimapokpam as a substitute in the 67th minute.
After Parthib’s cross fell to Brijesh Giri outside the box in the 82nd minute, India earned another corner. Even as he attempted to move away from his marker, the opposing defence recovered in time to stop him.
Bikash Yumnam, all alone in the 6-yard box, leapt high in the 86th minute to connect Gurkirat’s cross but was unable to slot home. Two back-to-back corners fell Indian’s way in the 87th minute, but despite leaping higher than everyone else in an attempt to put it in, he missed by a whisker.
Gurkirat scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute, but India had chances after that, with Amandeep possibly missing the easiest chance of the second half. Despite having Yoosuf at his disposal, he was unable to tap it in.
Earlier, Maldives’ only attempt on Indian goal came in the first minute, but Indian goalkeeper Som Kumar dived to his right to save a Zain Zafar free kick.
India: Som Kumar; Raj Basfore (Gurkirat Singh – 31st), Halen Nongtdu, Bikash Yumnam, Amandeep; Sibajit Leimapokpam (Shubho Paul – 67th) Maheson Singh, Vibin Mohanan (Vinay Harji – 31st), Brijesh Giri, Parthib Gogoi, Himanshu Jangra (captain).
(Inputs from IANS)