India lost 4-2 on penalties to Nepal in the semi-finals of the SAFF Women’s Championship in Kathmandu after the home team postponed the match for more than an hour in protest against the referee’s decision in Kathmandu on the 11th. was defeated. Sunday. Nepal will face Bangladesh in the final. In the first semi-final, Bangladesh defeated Bhutan 7-1. In a match played in front of a packed crowd at Dasharath Stadium, there was more drama off the pitch than on it, with the penalty applied after full-time had ended in a 1-1 draw. War.
In fact, by the time the shootout ended, nearly three hours had passed since the start of the game.
India took the lead in the 62nd minute with Sangita Basfour’s stunning shot from outside the box.
Nepal then scored a goal, but the goal was denied by the referee. The match was then postponed for more than 70 minutes after Nepal refused to continue in protest of the referee’s decision.
According to a statement from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the scene on the pitch during this period was completely chaotic, mainly due to the stagecraft displayed by some of the home team’s players and officials.
Referee Om Choki, who is from Bhutan, waited patiently for more than an hour, and the match was restarted after discussions between the coaching staff and the Nepali side.
The long wait times and absolute chaos clearly disrupted the rhythm and concentration of the Indians.
Seconds after the restart, Nepal equalized through Savitra Bhandari’s goal, which was crucial in ultimately extending the match beyond 90 minutes.
In the tie-break, Nepal converted all four shots but only Manisha and Karishma Shirvojkar could score for India. For the Blue Tigres, both skippers Ashalata Devi and Ranjana Chanu were absent.
Troubles started early in the second half, with Nepal international striker Rekha Poudel given her marching orders in the 51st minute for a second yellow card offence.
“The Nepali players violently protested against the referee’s decision, causing tension in the stands, forcing the opposing assistant referee to abandon his post and temporarily take shelter on the other side,” the AIFF said in a statement. .
“It took around 12 minutes for the match to restart. However, after India took the lead, the situation deteriorated rapidly and got completely out of hand. Indian players approached the bench to celebrate the goal. Nepal then “reopened”. He then put the ball into India’s open net,” the AIFF said.
The referee disallowed the goal, which became a point of contention.
“While spectators expressed their displeasure, Nepali players and officials decided to leave the pitch. It took more than an hour for organizers and coaching officials to resolve the issue.”
“The Indians, who had earlier been having a fun day at the office, were just as confused as everyone else at the Dasharath Stadium. When the matches resumed, the Blue Tigres were not their usual self again. There wasn’t.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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