Jerry Lalrinzuala scored the all-important goal for India in the 18th minute to silence the noisy home supporters. Lalrinzuala struck into the far post with a stunning 20-yard shot from the right side in the match marred by heavy downpour.
It was the first title for India in the tournament. In the first edition, India had lost 2-1 to Pakistan in the final while Nepal had finished third."Even the best goalkeeper could not have saved the goal Nepal conceded," Nepal´s coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said after the match.
Maharjan, who had promised to keep the trophy at home, also apologized to the home supporters for failing to lift the title. "We failed to win the title despite our best efforts. I want to apologize to all Nepali football fans and request for your love and similar support in future." [break]
Nepal looked sluggish in the beginning, but created more chances and dominated ball possession after conceding the goal. Failure to score despite creating numerous chances turned out to be a major factor in the Nepal´s defeat. Besides this, Indian custodian Dheeraj S Moirangthem also made some valiant saves to deny the home team.
"It was unfortunate that we missed several chances. We missed open chances in one-on-one situations. However, I am satisfied with the team´s performance," Maharjan said. Skipper Hemant Thapa Magar also echoed his coach. "We came under pressure after conceding an unexpected goal. But we piled consistent pressure after the interval. Everyone did their best, but it was bad luck that we lost the match."
India coach Gautam Ghosh also praised the Nepali team and described them as real fighters. "Nepal played well but some tactical weaknesses cost them dearly. I watched Nepal´s matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh and prepared accordingly," said Ghosh. He, however, declined to point out the weaknesses of Nepal.
"Our focus is on the development of football rather than the result," Ghosh reiterated. "We wish to see India playing against France, Italy and Spain and these players playing in European and top Asian leagues in future."
According to Ghosh, the Indian team rectified its mistakes from its very first group match and came up with a better performance in every match.
It was the Indians who made the first attempt on goal but Nepal´s Ananta Tamang defended Krishna Pandit´s shot from close range in the seventh minute. In the 17th, Nepal´s custodian Roman Rasaily made a quick dive to deny a powerful shot from Boringdao Bodo but India achieved the target in the resulting corner.
Nepal´s first attempt came in the 20th minute but custodian Moirangthem made a long stretched dive to prevent Bimal Gharti Magar´s shot from the edge of the box. Later in the 85th he was denied in a one-on-one situation by Moirangthem in the danger zone.
Nepal also wasted another golden chance in the 33rd as Shiva Subedi fired wide from the area in a one-on-one situation with Moirangthem after Sujan Limbu Ingnam had set him up with a flicked header. In the 45th Ingnam drove straight into the hands of Moirangthem rather than passing it to an unmarked Gharti Magar.
Three minutes after the break Anjan Bista´s long-range shot went inches wide. Indian custodian Moirangthem foiled Bista and Akash Thapa´s attempts in the 51st and 59th minutes respectively.
India threatened the Nepali goal again in the 65th but custodian Rasaily reacted quickly to punch Deependra Singh Negi´s volley to safety. Five minutes later Rasaily prevented Pandit´s strike from the area in a one-on-one situation.
In the 71st Moirangthem caught Ananta Tamang´s bouncing header. Tamang´s last-ditch attempt in the dying moments was also foiled by goalie Moirangthem as he stopped Tamang´s shot from close range in Bikash Thapa´s header. Ingnam also missed a chance to equalize in the fading moments.
Bangladesh finishes third
KATHMANDU: Bangladesh took the third-place honors in the SAFF U-16 Championship on Tuesday. Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan 1-0 in the third-place play-off at the Army Sports Complex in Lagankhel. Al Amin Tushar scored the lone goal for Bangladesh in the 75th minute. Bangladesh had finished fourth in the last edition of the tournament played in Kathmandu. Bhutan won the award for fair play team.
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