India’s bid to win a hat-trick of SAFF Football Championship titles went up in smoke on Wednesday as they lost 0-2 to Afghanistan in the final. The Afghans, who won their maiden SAFF Trophy exacted a sweet revenge for their humiliating 0-4 loss against the same opponents in New Delhi two years back. The winners were helped by strikes from Mustafa Azadzoy (8th minute) and Sanjar Ahmadi (63rd minute).
India coach Wim Koevermans’s gamble of leaving out regular captain Sunil Chhetri from the starting XI didn’t exactly pay off although the efforts from Robin Singh and Jeje Lalpeklhua were praiseworthy. It was their inexperience on big occasion that cost India dearly as they fumbled repeatedly on the opposition’s attacking third.
For Afghanistan, it was a moment they had waited for two years having found the defeat in Delhi a hard to swallow. A fleet of Afghan Parliamentarians arrived in the afternoon to cheer their team. Whether the announcement egged them is hard to know but they certainly played to their plan as they were able to keep the Indian team at bay despite a wave of attacks. Both the strikes came off counter-attacks and their defence were too strong to break.