India vs Nepal results: A rainy evening at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore saw India beat Nepal 2-0 in their second match of the SAFF Championship group stage. They have now qualified for the next round, making it out of the group with two straight wins.
India went into the match cruising with momentum on the back of their Intercontinental Cup win, followed by a dominant 4-0 victory against Pakistan. Nepal, on the other hand, were defeated by Kuwait in their opening match and had to win to salvage their hopes in the tournament.
India vs Nepal SAFF Championship 2023: Results
The first half was evenly matched, with both teams having half chances at scoring the opener. But, neither team was able to make much of the opportunities they had.
Nepal conjured up a brilliant chance at the half-hour mark, but were unable to finish it as India’s defence punted the ball away. They looked quite threatening on the break, but were unable to be clinical in the final third.
Nepal’s Anjan Bista was taken off for Awas Lamichhane shortly before half time, after a collision with Anirudh Thapa rendered him unable to carry on. The two teams went into the break level, with the match having all the makings of a game too close to call.
India vs Nepal SAFF Championship 2023 second half: Chhetri and Mahesh score
The second half saw India come out on the front foot again, with Sunil Chhetri scoring his 91st international goal to help India achieve the breakthrough. The skipper has now scored four goals in the SAFF Championship, and is having an incredible run over the last few games.
Naorem Mahesh Singh scored the second for the Blues, after Chhetri’s attempt at getting a brace rebounded off the crossbar and ended up at the feet of Mahesh. The East Bengal winger put the ball into the back of the net at the 70th minute, sealing all three points for his side.
India also got into a brawl against another South Asian rival, this time it being Nepal, around the hour mark.
The Blue Tigers will finish their group stage against Kuwait on the third matchday on 27 June. Igor Stimac’s men will be expected to win the SAFF Championship this time around, following their impressive run so far this year.
