(Football News) The Indian football team made an outstanding start to the SAFF Championship by convincingly defeating the Pakistan side 4-0. Sunil Chhetri, the team’s talisman, played a key role with a remarkable hat-trick. Two of Chhetri’s goals were scored from penalty kicks, while his first goal of the night resulted from a mistake made by Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif.
In addition to Chhetri’s heroics, Udanta Singh contributed a goal, securing a comprehensive victory for the team. The home team dominated their arch-rivals throughout the match, despite the numerous challenges faced by the Pakistan team in reaching Bengaluru for the tournament. Due to visa delays, many members of the Pakistan team arrived just hours before kick-off.
This match marked the first football encounter between both the teams since September 2018 when India emerged victorious with a 3-1 win in the SAFF tournament semifinal. Following the triumph over Pakistan, The home team’s upcoming matches include a clash against Nepal on June 24 and a match against Kuwait on June 27. Meanwhile, Pakistan is scheduled to face Kuwait on June 24 and Nepal on June 27, following today’s game.
Out of the previous five encounters between the two teams, the Indian side emerged victorious in four matches, while Pakistan managed to secure a win in one. Therefore, this latest triumph marks India’s fifth victory in the last six games against Pakistan.
Also Read: Chhetri hat-trick powers India to 4-0 win over Pakistan
