To maintain their cent percent winning streak Afghanistan came from behind to beat Sri Lanka 3-1 at APF grounds, Halchowk and Maldives demolished minnows Bhutan 8-2 that got restricted to 10-man during the last moments of the first half. [break]
In the first match on Monday, Maldives had hammered Sri Lanka 10-0 and Afghanistan had defeated Bhutan 3-1.
The result puts Maldives and Afghanistan on top of group B points table with six points apiece. Maldives occupies top spot on the basis of goals superiority. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka and Bhutan placed on the bottom of table are yet to open scoring. Afghanistan meets Maldives in the last group match and Bhutan takes on Sri Lanka.
At the Halchowk ground, Sri Lanka took 36th minute lead through MN Mohamed Fazal who chipped in an advancing Afghani custodian Mansur Fagiryar to ward off a humiliating defeat.
Ali Asfaq (center) of Maldives dribbles the ball past Bhutanese players during their SAFF Championship match at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
Afghans looked under pressure in the first half and failed to create any remarkable chance. But the situation reversed in the second half with Afghanistan hitting back an equalizer in the 62nd minute after two unsuccessful post attempts. Substitute Mohammad Rafi, a 46th minute replacement of Mohammad Yusef Mashrigi, converted a straight corner at the far post.
Earlier, in the 50th minute Sri Lanka´s MM Mohamed Sameer defended Mo Marouf Jamhour´s volley from the goal-line. Three minutes later, Afghanistan wasted golden scoring chance as custodian WSTD Sujan Perera denied a penalty taken by Belal Arezo. Afghanistan was awarded penalty after Sameer handed the ball in danger zone trying to defend Mustafa Azadzoy´s corner.
Skipper Haroon Fakhruddin put the Afghans ahead in the 76th with a 30-yard strike. Hashmatullah Hohammad Jan wrapped up the victory four minutes from time collecting a long pass from custodian Mansur Fagiryar beating past skipper LAT Suranda Bandara and custodian Perera and rolling the ball in the open net.
Sri Lanka´s Brazalian coach SC Roberto said inexperience of his players cost the match despite taking the early lead.
In the late match played at Dasharath Stadium, Maldives skipper Ali Asfaq netted four goals after the interval against Bhutan, after sending off of its glovesman Leki.
Bhutan put up spirited show in the first half and scored 2-1 during first half. But its misery began soon after custodian Leki was given marching orders by the Bangladesh referee Shamsuzzaman Tayeb Hasan. Leki, the last man, was sent off after he stumbled Asfaq at the edge of box and Maldives leveled the score 2-2 in the resulting freekick taken by Mohamaed Umair. In its last match too Maldives had numerical advantage over Sri Lanka as the custodian MN Mohamed Imran was sent off in the 19th minute for foul on Asfaq.
"The referee was very strict, if we had played 11-versus-11 the match could have been different," Bhutan´s Japanese referee Kazunori Ohara commented at the post match conference. "My players did not know how to play with one-man deficit. However, I am happy with their performance," said the Japanese referring to score in the first half.
Earlier, Afghanistan had taken lead in the 16th minute through Ali Fasir who scored his second goal in the 69th. But Bhutan made it equalized score in the 25th through skipper Passang and Chencho Gyeltshen made it 2-1 for Bhutan in the 35th.
Asfaq scored in the 48th, 51st 76th and 79th minutes respectively while Ali Umar wrapped up the comprehensive win in the 81st.
Maldives Hungarian coach Urbanyi Istava Bela commetnted that Bhutan started well and created pressure on his side in the early moments of the match. "I was not surprised to see Bhutan pressuring us in the first half," Bela commented.
Asfaq sets another record
KATHMANDU: Ali Asfaq of Maldives set another record on Wednesday following 8-2 rout of Bhutan, two days after setting three individual records during its match against Sri Lanka in the Eighth SAFF Championship. The prolific forward who turns 28 on Friday netted four goals against Bhutan, taking his goals tally to 10 in the current edition of SAFF from two matches. Asfaq on Wednesday broke the record of maximum goals in one edition with 10 goals.
Earlier, India´s skipper Sunil Chhetri held the record with seven goals in the last edition of the championship. Maldives is yet to play at least two matches in the event and the forward still has chances of extending his goals tally.On Monday, Asfaq had netted double hat-trick in Maldives´ 10-0 win over Sri Lanka. Following the match against Sri Lanka, he had become an all time highest goal scorer of SAFF with 14 goals. Another four goals against Bhutan took his goals tally to 18. Earlier, Indian captain Baichung Bhutia held the record with 12 goals. Meanwhile, it was the first double hat-trick ever in the SAFF and it also made Asfaq the highest scorer in a single match of SAFF.
Related story
India completes Maldives troop withdrawal
