India squandered an early lead and had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Maldives in an international friendly at the National Stadium in Male.
India squandered an early lead and had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Maldives in an international friendly at the National Stadium in Male.
India’s captain and ace striker Sunil Chhetri had taken the much-fancied opponents ahead with his 18th minute goal. However, Indians could not sustain the slender advantage for a little longer as Mukhtar Nasir restored parity for Maldives in the 44th minute.
“It was a tough match,” India coach Armando Colaco said. “We did create our chances and I’m happy with the performance of the boys,” he added.
“The World Cup qualifier against UAE stays our priority. There’s always a bit of experimentation in friendlies and we tried to make most use of it.”
Chhetri gave India the lead when he headed in a Steven Dias’s corner to silence the packed house.
After taking the lead, Indians took over the reins as the midfield fed Jeje Lalpekhlua and Chhetri upfront without fail. Frustrated, there were a number of mispasses from the rival midfielders, which further helped India’s cause.
India had a chance to make it 2-0 but Lalpekhlua’s shot hit the pass after he was set in the clear by Chhetri in the 43rd minute.
Just before halftime, Nasir equalised for Maldives. He intercepted a through pass and curled it over Subrata Pal to leave it 1-1 at the interval.
Changing over, Lalpekhlua had another chance in the 60th minute but his placement missed the target by inches. He also had another opportunity in the 86th minute but shot wide from near.
India next play Qatar in another international friendly at the Al Sadd Stadium on July 17. India then move on to challenge UAE in the first-leg of the World Cup qualifiers in Abu Dhabi. The return leg is slated for July 28 at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi.
Result: India 1 (Sunil Chhetri 18th)
Maldives 1 (Mukhtar Nasir 44th)
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