India certified for the SAFF U19 Championship semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Bhutan on the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Monday. Both the groups have been locked 1-1 at half-time. Jigme Namgyel gave Bhutan the lead within the twentieth minute however India bounced again by way of targets from Gwgwmsar Goyary and Ricky Meetei. India went into the Group B match with an upperhand, having defeated Bangladesh 3-0. To add to that, Bhutan’s 4-3 victory in opposition to Bangladesh meant that India wanted solely a draw to safe the highest spot within the group and subsequently, a spot within the semifinals.

In the semifinal, India will cross swords with the hosts Nepal on Wednesday.

A decent contest ensued in the course of the park as the 2 sides seemed to achieve management of the sport.

India seemed to overload the wings as Raja Harijan despatched looking aerial by way of balls onto the flanks.

However, in opposition to the run of play, it was Bhutan who took the lead by way of Namgyel, whose cross from the best flank fooled everybody and crept into the highest nook.

India, for his or her half, managed to create some confusion contained in the Bhutan penalty field, as they despatched aerial balls, aiming for his or her rotating goal man.

Kelvin Singh Taorem went by way of early on however solely to collide with Bhutan keeper Penjor Gyeltshen because the ball rolled extensive.

Taorem had one other alternative within the thirty sixth minute when a cross from the left by Naoba Meitei was flicked on by the previous, but it surely was saved from point-blank vary by Gyeltshen.

The Blue Colts lastly had their equaliser nearly instantly, when an identical aerial by way of ball was fed into the field the place it bounced over the keeper, earlier than Goyary hustled his manner in and nodded it into an empty internet.

India began on the entrance foot within the second half and took the lead within the sixty fourth minute with a nook that was clearly labored out in coaching.

Yash Chikro, as an alternative of looping the nook into the field, despatched a grounded drive to the highest of the field, the place an unmarked Meetei pounced on the chance and side-footed it into the underside nook with an correct shot.

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