Shourjyani Chatterjee
In a fiercely contested Tri-nation women’s football friendly match in Shillong, Nepal defeated India 2-1. Karishma Shirvoikar scored India’s lone goal in the second half, while Nepal’s captain, Sabitra Bhandari, scored both their goals with elegance and skill. Iran won the tournament by virtue of defeating both India and Nepal.
Both teams entered the game with a lot of energy. Two minutes into the game, Sabitra ran past India’s defence and calmly pushed the ball past the Indian goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu to score. It was her 67th goal in 62 games and served as a reminder of her ability to score.
India made an effort to bounce back from the initial setback. As young players like Mousumi Murmu and Rimpa Haldar attempted to launch attacks from midfield, captain Sangita Basfore urged her teammates to maintain their composure. As part of his rotation strategy, coach Crispin Chettri gave a number of young players chances, while seasoned forwards Pyari Xaxa and Karishma Shirvoikar remained on the bench.
Pyari came on as substitute in the 55th minute of the match and Karishma replaced Mousumi in the 58th minute. The combination of Lynda Kom, Pyari, and Karishma gave India fresh attacking energy. In the 13th minute, Ratanbala Devi had connected with a pass from Lynda to give India their first real chance to score, but Nepal’s goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar made a confident save. Ratanbala had another attempt from a free-kick a few moments later, but her shot went straight to the keeper. India pushed forward and demonstrated intent, but their finishing and final passes lacked precision.
Shilky Devi and Thokchom Martina made vital defensive tackles to keep Nepal from scoring more goals, particularly in the 27th minute, when Sabitra attempted to score again. In the 31st minute, Mousumi and Dangmei Grace worked well together to create a fantastic opportunity, but Murmu’s shot just missed the mark. Panthoi kept India in the game with two outstanding saves before halftime, denying Renuka Nagarkote and Sabitra.
India started the second half with much more vigour and purpose. Rimpa Haldar had an early attempt in the 46th minute, but Nepal’s defence stopped it. In the 51st minute, Mousumi attempted a shot on goal but it was intercepted by Anjana. Nepal punished India once more in the 61st minute, asSabitra Bhandari made it 2-0 by curling a beautiful shot into the top-right corner from a free kick just outside the box. The Indian defence was rendered powerless. As the game became tense, Bimala BK of Nepal received a yellow card.
India’s hopes were rekindled in the 80th minute when Karishma skilfully converted a long free kick from Nirmala Devi, but despite late pressure from Pyari, Lynda and Ratanbala,they couldn’t find an equaliser.
Despite being the top-ranked team in the tournament, India finished their Tri-Nation campaign without a single victory. Although the Blue Tigresses put in a lot of effort and spirit, the 63rd-ranked team were thwarted by missed opportunities and defensive errors. It could be said that India was once again harmed by their inability to finish. Notwithstanding the outcome, the young team acquired valuable experience, with coach Chettri earlier emphasisingthe long-term growth of the team.