SAFF Championship 2023: Sunil Chhetri and Co. sailed through to the semifinals of the South Asian Football Federation Championship 2023 after a convincing victory over Nepal in their second league game. Chhetri continued his goalscoring run as he found the back of the nets after the first hour was passed. Meanwhile, Naorem Mahesh Singh's strike doubled India's lead and clinched the deal for the Blue Tigers.
After a frustrating opening half of the match, the Indian captain broke the deadlock with a cross assist from Mahesh in the 61st minute. India led 1-0 and Mahesh then made it a double as India enjoyed cushion over Nepal. In the 70th minute it was Mahesh, who then put the ball into the back of the net after a shot from Chhetri hit the bar. The Indians then kept Nepal at bay to remain unscathed for yet another time. They now qualify for the final four from Group A with a game to go against Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Kuwait have also confirmed their place in the semis after they crushed Pakistan by 4-0 in the other game of the day. India had earlier beaten Pakistan by the same scoreline to start their campaign on a high note. Notably, India and Kuwait will now meet on June 27 in their bid to take the first spot, while Pakistan and Nepal will be playing a dead rubber on the same day.
In the other group, all four teams are still in contention to qualify for the semifinals as everyone has played one game each. Both Lebanon and Maldives have a win in their maiden outings, whereas Bangladesh and Bhutan are winless in their opening games in Group B. Maldives will square off against Bangladesh, whereas Bhutan will face Lebanon on June 25.
