India vs Nepal friendlies: Full time! Thapa equalized for the Blue Tigers as Chettri and Co manage to pull off a draw- IND 1-1 NEP –
The Indian men’s football team scraped out a 1-1 draw against Nepal on Thursday. Anirudh Thapa managed to score the equalizer for India in the second half after Anjan Bista found the back of the net for Nepal during the 36th minute of the game. Both teams will lock horns at the Dashrath Stadium once again in another international friendly on September 5.
The international friendlies are meant to help the Indian team prepare for next month’s SAFF Championships. The five-team SAFF Championship is set to take place in the Maldives from October 3 to October 13. All the matches are scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Male. Apart from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and are the other participating teams in this tournament.
Second Half
50 mins’: The Indian team has started off the second half with a positive approach. The Blue Tigers are composed on the ball looking to attack Nepals’ goal.
55 mins: Nepal is not holding back, the hosts are pressing India looking for their second goal of the night
58 mins’:Thapa wins the header for India; Manages to clear the ball conceding a throw-in
60 mins: GOALLLLLL!! Thapa slots the ball in. A fantastic shot by Sunil Chettri who forces the keeper into a diving save. Thapa runs towards the ball and kicks it in the back of the net.
62 mins: Substitution for India! Lalengmawia comes in for Suresh Singh with nearly half an hour left.
64 mins: Nepal has made three changes. The hosts are looking determined to win the game and score the winner.
67 mins: India has been very aggressive in the second half. Good approach towards the game.
70 mins: Indian team captain Sunil Chettri has been subbed at the 70th-minute mark. Bipin Singh comes in.
73 mins: India on the attack again. Bipin Singh runs from the left and helps the visitors get a corner while Nepal makes another change.
75 mins: Nepal give the ball away in a dangerous position but manage to recover from it and recycle the possession
77 mins: The visitors are comfortable on the ball now, playing a more possession-based game and taking their time looking to break Nepal’s defense
79: Counterattack by Nepal. The hots have continued to attack from the left flank as India concedes a corner kick with 10 minutes to go
81 mins’: Nepal looking to break through from the right now. India managed to clear it out
83 mins: CLOSEEE!! India, just inches away from scoring the second. Nepal would have breathed a high sigh of relief
85 mins’: Less than five minutes left in the second half. Nepal makes yet another substitution looking for the win
87 mins’: Raheem Ali finds himself in a lot of space there. Hits the ball wide of the target. The score remains tied at 1-1
89 mins’: Yellow Card for Nepals’ number 6. India gets a free kick in their own half
90 mins’: Four minutes have been added to the game
92 mins: India plays the ball long with most of the players positioned in the opponent’s half.
94 mins: FULL TIME!! A fantastic come bac by the Ble Tigers in the game after trailing Nepal at the end of the first half !!
First Half
- The Indian team looking to play a more attacking game now. More possession in the Nepali half now and the away team will be looking to capitalise on it now
- 36′ Goal!!! A mistake at the back from India and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is furious! A back pass by the Indian defender but there is very low power on it. Anjan Bista intercepts, rounds up the goalkeeper and puts the ball into the empty net
- Chants of Nepal, Nepal ring around the ground as the home fans try to steer their team forward. That might have made things a touch difficult maybe as Ananta Tamang loses concentration and gives away a throw-in
- A Nepal attack fizzles out as Sandhu collects the ball. Gurpreet then launches it up-field for Sunil Chhetri but the Nepali defenders stay strong and make sure India do not benefit from this.
- Just when it looked Sunil Chhetri and India were stepping it up a gear, Tej Tamang comes in and puts the ball out of play after an excellent tackle.
- The ball is with Subhasish Bose and he goes for a long pass in behind the Nepal defence. Ananta Tamang reads it and lets the ball go for a goal kick.
- Nepal builds a solid counter-attack but fails to get through India’s defense
- Solid defence by Nepal again 10 minutes into the game and India have not managed to put a shot on goal
- The local crowd are getting its voice behind their team
- Corner for India, long ball cleared by Nepal’s defence
- The last time when India and Nepal played, Nepal got the better of Blue Tigers
- India to start the game
- The first game of the two friendly fixtures starts
@17:13 –
Warmed-up and ready to roar 🔥🔥
Watch the match LIVE 🔴 on 👉 https://t.co/znYTk7nhtY#NEPIND ⚔️ #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/QJe81JZmdw
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 2, 2021
@17:05 – Sunil Chhetri ahead of the game – “I will admit that I have a soft corner for Nepal. But, it ends the moment I step on the pitch. My mom is from Nepal and whatever sporting culture and discipline has been inculcated is all because of my mom.”
@17:00 – Blue Tigers arriving in style
Arriving at the Stadium like …. 😎#NEPIND ⚔️ #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/1MKHIKyDMZ
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 2, 2021
@16:55 – Nepal’s playing XI: Anjan Bista (14), Dinesh Rajbanshi (2), Gautam Shrestha (5), Kiran Kumar Limbu (16), Nawayug Shrestha (18), Ananta Tamang (4), Suman Lama (12), Tej Tamang (13), Pujan Uparkoti (11), Suman Aryal (6), Ayush Ghalan (19)
@16:40 -India’s playing XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Chinglensana Singh, Akash Mishra; Suresh Singh Wangjam, Glan Martins, Brandon Fernandes; Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh; Sunil Chhetri (C).
Substitutes: Amrinder Singh (GK), Pritam Kotal, Mandar Rao Dessai, Lalengmawia, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Rahim Ali, Bipin Singh, Seriton Fernandes, Pronay Halder, Yasir Mohammad, Sahal Abdul Samad.
@16:50 – Head-to-Head stats
Nepal vs India
Matches: 18
India – 13
Nepal – 2
Goals
India – 33
Nepal – 7
In their previous meeting on June 6, 2017 at the Mumbai Football Arena, India beat Nepal 2-0.
The five-team SAFF Championships will be held from October 3 to October 13 at the National Stadium in Male.
India vs Nepal friendlies: India’s FIFA friendly matches against Nepal to be live-streamed on Indian Football’s Facebook page
India vs Nepal Friendly: Sunil Chhetri comments on facing Nepal, says they are a tough team
India vs Nepal live: India squad
The 25-member Indian National team squad for the two Friendlies is as follows:
GOALKEEPERS: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh.
DEFENDERS: Pritam Kotal, Seriton Fernandes, Chinglensana Singh, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Mandar Rao Dessai, Akash Mishra.
MIDFIELDERS: Liston Colaco, Bipin Singh, Lalengmawia, Anirudh Thapa, Abdul Sahal, Brandon Fernandes, Pronay Halder, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh, Jeakson Singh, Yasir Mohammad.
FORWARDS: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary, Sunil Chhetri.
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