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The Indian football team secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Nepal in the ongoing SAFF Championship, on Saturday. This marked the Blue Tigers' eighth consecutive victory since the turn of the year.
A winning mentality appears to be taking hold within the Indian team, as they continue to achieve success on the field.
Significantly, the Blue Tigers' emphasis on physicality and determination in winning duels has played a pivotal role in their successful streak. The defense, spearheaded by Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke, along with the youthful energy of Nikhil Poojary and Akash Mishra have elevated the team’s performances.
The team's fiery aggression appeared to have overflowed a bit during the match against Nepal. The Indian players were involved in yet another heated confrontation during the match on Saturday.
After Sunil Chhetri's opening goal, the intensity of the game increased. In an aerial duel during a goal-kick, Nepal's striker Bimal Magar seemed to have committed a foul against Rahul Bheke.
The challenge clearly irked Bheke, who quickly confronted Bimal, expressing his discontent. Responding to Bheke's actions, Nepal's number 10 engaged in a heated exchange, resulting in a moment of chaos where both sets of players pushed and probed each other.
Nikhil Poojary, in particular, seemed to have brought down Bimal before the referee and the team captains intervened to defuse the tussle. While it wasn't the first instance of players standing up for each other, there was a sense that this reaction was unnecessary as well.
India were involved in a similar incident against Pakistan when head coach Igor Stimac decided to intervene in the play and prevent Pakistan from taking a quick throw-in.
As a result of the heated confrontation between the players, the referee made the decision to send off Stimac. The latter subsequently served his suspension during the match against Nepal.
Sunil Chhetri and Naorem Mahesh Singh seal an impressive victory for India
The heated exchange between the players certainly provided a glimpse of the game’s flow. India struggled to establish their dominance, as Nepal defended resolutely. Additionally, the Gorkhalis created a few chances of their own in the first half.
The situation resulted in growing frustration among the players until Sunil Chhetri broke the deadlock around the hour mark. Naorem Mahesh Singh’s pin-point delivery found Chhetri in the box, who made no mistake in converting his chance.
Exploiting Nepal's push in their quest for an equalizer, the Blue Tigers effectively put the game to bed through a counter-attack, spearheaded by Sahal Abdul Samad.
The ball eventually found Chhetri in the box, whose effort was saved by Limbu. However, it was tucked into the net by Mahesh Singh for his first goal in the Indian team's colors.
India ultimately secured a 2-0 victory to cement their place in the semi-finals of the SAFF Championship 2023. They will face Kuwait in their final game in a fight for the top spot in Group A.
