Indian women's team gun for fifth consecutive SAFF title in Nepal
The matches will be held at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, a city located close to the Indian state of Bihar.
Unbeaten in 19 matches from the last four editions, defending champions India reached the Himalayan nation of Nepal on Sunday (March 10, 2019) for the forthcoming SAFF Women's Championships 2019, where coach Maymol Rocky's side will be aiming to clinch their fifth title in a row.
The Indian eves have been drawn in Group B in the six-team competition alongside Maldives and Sri Lanka while hosts Nepal have been placed in Group A with Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
The matches will be held at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, a city located close to the Indian state of Bihar.
India have a strong record in the competition having won all four editions so far -- the first of which came in in 2010, and have claimed victory in each and every match they have played so far in the tournament -- a streak which extends to 19 matches.
For coach Rocky, the tournament will be the last opportunity to fine tune her team for the crucial 2020 Olympic Qualifiers Round 2, which is slated to be held in Myanmar from April 1-9.
"The SAFF Women's Championship has always been a successful tournament for India in the past. We are confident of going all the way and making it five trophies in a row," she stated.
She added: "The girls have been together for a good amount of time now. We have been able to test them out in match conditions, both in India and abroad. This championship is another chance to assess the players before the Olympic Qualifiers Round 2, and also pick up some silverware, which will certainly be a big boost for the team."
Midfielder Indumathi Kathiresan, who scored in the final of the 2016 edition against Bangladesh, echoed her coach's sentiments and said that the team will leave no stone unturned.
She said: "We are fully prepared for the tournament. The mood in the team is positive and we are raring to go for our games."
India’s fixtures are as follows:
March 13: India vs Maldives.
March 17: India vs Sri Lanka.
March 20: Semi-finals.
March 22: Final.
The Indian squad for the tournament is as follows:
BIRATNAGAR, NEPAL: The Indian women's national team kicked-off its campaign at the SAFF Women's Championship with a resounding 6-0 win over Maldives at the Sahid Rangashala Stadium in Biratnagar, Nepal on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Dangmei Grace, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Sanju, Indumathi Kathiresan and Ratanabala Devi - all found the back of the net for India, who come into the tournament as defending champions, having won the trophy four times, so far.
The Indian team pressed forward from the first whistle, looking to seize the initiative from the get go. After a couple of close attempts in the opening exchanges, Grace put the defending champions into the lead eight minutes into the match, thanks to some fine pressing from the Indian attackers, which allowed the winger to latch on to a loose ball inside the box and slot it past the keeper.
Grace was heavily involved in the second goal as well, this time providing an assist in the 13th minute. A cross from the right was brought down excellently by Sandhiya, who showed great composure to bring the ball under her control with her first touch and with her second, she swivelled and shot the ball into the back of the net.
Coach Maymol Rocky's side continued to dominate possession and soon enough, the third goal came through Indumathi Kathiresan in the 22nd minute as she burst past her marker, raced towards goal and slammed it past the keeper with a powerful effort into the roof of the net.
Just four minutes later, it was Sanju's turn to get onto the scoresheet. A long cross-field ball from the right flank by Dalima Chhibber was brought down by the Indian left-winger. In a swift movement, she turned her defender, switched the ball to her right foot and curled it into the far corner of the net.
The Indian team continued its charge to widen the gap, with the Maldives keeper forced into a couple of saves. However, she could do nothing when Ratanbala Devi slammed home India's fifth goal of the match, which came from a direct free-kick from just outside the penalty area in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
At the restart, Manisha came on in place of Indumathi as the Indian eves continued to assert their control over the game. The Maldives team dropped deep into its own half and a number of India's chances came from long range, with Grace, Manisha, Dalima and Sangita all coming close to extending their team's lead.
The tempo of the game slowed down as it progressed and in the last minute of the match, and Sanju added India's sixth goal of the evening. Seeing the rival custodian off her line, she launched a shot from distance that went over the keeper and straight into the goal.
With the result, the Indian side extended its unbeaten run at the SAFF Championships - which now stands at 20 matches.
INDIAN WOMEN CHARGE INTO SAFF SEMIS WITH 5-0 WIN OVER SRI LANKA
The Indian women's team sealed their place in the semifinal of the SAFF Women's Championship with a 5-0 victory against Sri Lanka today (March 17, 2019) at the Sahid Rangashala Stadium in Biratnagar, Nepal. The result extended India's unbeaten run in the competition's history to 21 games and secured the top spot in Group B, with all five goals coming from different scorers.
The first half began in fantastic fashion for the Indian side as they found the net in the fourth minute through winger Grace Dangmei. The goal was created through some fine work from Sanju down the left wing as she cut inside to unleash a shot that rattled the woodwork and fell to Grace, who headed in the rebound first-time.
One became two just three minutes later, thanks to Sanju's wing-play again. She broke down the left past the defensive line and put in an inch-perfect cross, which was tapped in by an onrushing Sandhiya.
In the 17th minute, Ratanbala appeared to have scored the third for India from close range but it was chalked off for offside. The opposition defence seemed to have then regained its composure, with goalkeeper Wijerathna pulling off a couple of good saves and the Indians hitting the frame of the goal twice from distance.
Led by Sanju, the Indian side continued to pour forward and ended the first 45 on the front foot - scoring two quickfire goals again. In the 36th minute, Sanju ran past her marker yet again and put in a cross that caused havoc in the Sri Lankan defence. The ball eventually fell to Indumathi, who slammed it past the keeper into the goal.
The fourth game on the stroke of half-time, this time from 12 yards out. Sanju's cross struck the hand of a Sri Lankan defender as the referee pointed straight to the spot and Sangita made no mistake, putting the ball into the corner of the net and sending her team into the break with a four-goal cushion.
The second period began in the same vein and Ratanbala, having had a goal cancelled earlier, got her name in the scorers' list with a powerful effort from inside the box and extended India's lead to five.
The four-time defending champions continued to dominate possession and could have added another to their tally through Jabamani Tudu, who latched on to the ball from a free-kick and placed her effort just past the post. Dalima Chhibber and Ratanbala came close with long-range shots as well but were denied by the Sri Lankan custodian.
The Indian women saw out the game till the end, continuing to create chances and control the tempo - eventually picking up the three points comfortably. In the semifinal, they will now take on Group A runners-up Bangladesh on Wednesday (March 20) while hosts Nepal will face Sri Lanka in the other fixture.
INDIAN WOMEN BREEZE PAST INDONESIA IN OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS ROUND 2 OPENER
The Indian Women’s National Team took bold steps towards the 2020 Olympics Tokyo after registering a 2-0 win over Indonesia in their first match of the Qualifiers Round 2 for women’s football at the Mandalarthiri Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar today (April 03, 2019).
Dangmei Grace’s brace (27’, 67’) proved to be the difference between the two teams in a match largely dominated both in terms of possession and chances created by Maymol Rocky’s wards.
Speaking after the match, Maymol informed that, “We wanted to start our qualifying campaign on a winning note and we have done so. Indonesia proved to be tough opponents that committed bodies in defence but we found a way to gather three points”.
“It is important to keep the winning momentum alive and we were able to do so. We are taking one match at a time and our focus shifts on our next opponents Nepal (on April 06)”, she added.
Keeping their winning momentum alive after the success of their 5th consecutive SAFF title win, the Indian women spared little and heaped pressure on the opponents from the opening minute. Some crafty work down the wings by Sanju and Ratanbala Devi proved to wreak havoc on the opposition defence that wereunable to read the play of the Indian women between the lines. Sanju’s cross in the 24th minute caused chaos in the Indonesian defence with one defender almost turning it into an own goal, before clearing the lines.
Sandhiya’s run in the 26th minute, after she was found by Sanju left a trail of Indonesian defenders in her wake – sidestepping one and casually rolling the ball into the space to create a shot, beating another. Her stinger of a shot from inside the box was saved by the Indonesian custodian Riska Julianti but Dangmei Grace applied the finishing touches from close range to give India the lead in the 27th minute.
The India defence made quick work of any Indonesian counterattacks to equalize deficits with goalkeeper Linthoingambi Devi not being tested once under the sticks as India led 1-0 at half-time.
India’s momentum continued in the second half with little difference in the attacking tempo. Ratanbala Devi’s shot from distance in the 56th minute earned an uncanny save from the Indonesian goalkeeper as she fluffed a routine collection. Three minutes later Dangmei Grace failed to score from close range after Sanju found her with a rasping cross that bewildered the Indonesian defence line.
In the 67th minute, Dangmei Grace once again applied the finishing touches to a shot from Sumithra Kamaraj that was haphazardly parried away by Riska Julianti and fell in front of her, to double India’s lead.
With the Indian defence extinguishing whatever the Indonesian forwards could cajole, the midfield dominated possession and kept Indonesia on their toes, chasing the ball. The full-time scoreline read 2-0 in favour of India as the women take pole position in Group A of the Olympic Qualifiers Round 2.
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Indian women's team gun for fifth consecutive SAFF title in Nepal
The matches will be held at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, a city located close to the Indian state of Bihar.
Unbeaten in 19 matches from the last four editions, defending champions India reached the Himalayan nation of Nepal on Sunday (March 10, 2019) for the forthcoming SAFF Women's Championships 2019, where coach Maymol Rocky's side will be aiming to clinch their fifth title in a row.
The Indian eves have been drawn in Group B in the six-team competition alongside Maldives and Sri Lanka while hosts Nepal have been placed in Group A with Bangladesh, and Bhutan.
The matches will be held at the Sahid Rangsala in Biratnagar, a city located close to the Indian state of Bihar.
India have a strong record in the competition having won all four editions so far -- the first of which came in in 2010, and have claimed victory in each and every match they have played so far in the tournament -- a streak which extends to 19 matches.
For coach Rocky, the tournament will be the last opportunity to fine tune her team for the crucial 2020 Olympic Qualifiers Round 2, which is slated to be held in Myanmar from April 1-9.
"The SAFF Women's Championship has always been a successful tournament for India in the past. We are confident of going all the way and making it five trophies in a row," she stated.
She added: "The girls have been together for a good amount of time now. We have been able to test them out in match conditions, both in India and abroad. This championship is another chance to assess the players before the Olympic Qualifiers Round 2, and also pick up some silverware, which will certainly be a big boost for the team."
Midfielder Indumathi Kathiresan, who scored in the final of the 2016 edition against Bangladesh, echoed her coach's sentiments and said that the team will leave no stone unturned.
She said: "We are fully prepared for the tournament. The mood in the team is positive and we are raring to go for our games."
India’s fixtures are as follows:
March 13: India vs Maldives.
March 17: India vs Sri Lanka.
March 20: Semi-finals.
March 22: Final.
The Indian squad for the tournament is as follows:
GOALKEEPERS: Linthoingambi Devi, Aditi Chauhan, Sowmiya Narayanasamy.
DEFENDERS: Jabamani Tudu, Sweety Devi, Ashalata Devi, Dalima Chhibber, Michel Castanha, Lako Bhutia.
MIDFIELDERS: Ranjana Chanu, Dangmei Grace, Sanju Yadav, Ratanbala Devi, Sumithra Kamaraj, Sangita Basfore, Indumathi Kathiresan.
FORWARDS: Anju Tamang, Roja Devi, Manisha, Sandhiya Ranganathan.
HEAD COACH: Maymol Rocky.
INDIA BEGIN SAFF TITLE DEFENCE WITH RESOUNDING WIN OVER MALDIVES
India 6 (Dangmei Grace 8', Sandhiya 13', Indumathi 22', Sanju 27', 89', Ratanbala Devi 45+4') beat Maldives 0
BIRATNAGAR, NEPAL: The Indian women's national team kicked-off its campaign at the SAFF Women's Championship with a resounding 6-0 win over Maldives at the Sahid Rangashala Stadium in Biratnagar, Nepal on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Dangmei Grace, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Sanju, Indumathi Kathiresan and Ratanabala Devi - all found the back of the net for India, who come into the tournament as defending champions, having won the trophy four times, so far.
The Indian team pressed forward from the first whistle, looking to seize the initiative from the get go. After a couple of close attempts in the opening exchanges, Grace put the defending champions into the lead eight minutes into the match, thanks to some fine pressing from the Indian attackers, which allowed the winger to latch on to a loose ball inside the box and slot it past the keeper.
Grace was heavily involved in the second goal as well, this time providing an assist in the 13th minute. A cross from the right was brought down excellently by Sandhiya, who showed great composure to bring the ball under her control with her first touch and with her second, she swivelled and shot the ball into the back of the net.
Coach Maymol Rocky's side continued to dominate possession and soon enough, the third goal came through Indumathi Kathiresan in the 22nd minute as she burst past her marker, raced towards goal and slammed it past the keeper with a powerful effort into the roof of the net.
Just four minutes later, it was Sanju's turn to get onto the scoresheet. A long cross-field ball from the right flank by Dalima Chhibber was brought down by the Indian left-winger. In a swift movement, she turned her defender, switched the ball to her right foot and curled it into the far corner of the net.
The Indian team continued its charge to widen the gap, with the Maldives keeper forced into a couple of saves. However, she could do nothing when Ratanbala Devi slammed home India's fifth goal of the match, which came from a direct free-kick from just outside the penalty area in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
At the restart, Manisha came on in place of Indumathi as the Indian eves continued to assert their control over the game. The Maldives team dropped deep into its own half and a number of India's chances came from long range, with Grace, Manisha, Dalima and Sangita all coming close to extending their team's lead.
The tempo of the game slowed down as it progressed and in the last minute of the match, and Sanju added India's sixth goal of the evening. Seeing the rival custodian off her line, she launched a shot from distance that went over the keeper and straight into the goal.
With the result, the Indian side extended its unbeaten run at the SAFF Championships - which now stands at 20 matches.
India Starting XI: Aditi Chauhan (Sowmiya N 66'); Jabamani Tudu, Ashalata Devi, Sweety Devi, Dalima Chhibber; Indumati Kathiresan (Manisha 46'), Sangita Basfore, Ratanbala Devi (Roja Devi 76'); Dangmei Grace, Sanju, Sandhiya Ranganathan
INDIAN WOMEN CHARGE INTO SAFF SEMIS WITH 5-0 WIN OVER SRI LANKA
https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=9518
CLINICAL INDIA DEFEAT BANGLADESH 4-0 TO SET UP SAFF FINAL SHOWDOWN AGAINST NEPAL
INDIAN WOMEN BREEZE PAST INDONESIA IN OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS ROUND 2 OPENER
The Indian Women’s National Team took bold steps towards the 2020 Olympics Tokyo after registering a 2-0 win over Indonesia in their first match of the Qualifiers Round 2 for women’s football at the Mandalarthiri Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar today (April 03, 2019).
Dangmei Grace’s brace (27’, 67’) proved to be the difference between the two teams in a match largely dominated both in terms of possession and chances created by Maymol Rocky’s wards.
Speaking after the match, Maymol informed that, “We wanted to start our qualifying campaign on a winning note and we have done so. Indonesia proved to be tough opponents that committed bodies in defence but we found a way to gather three points”.
“It is important to keep the winning momentum alive and we were able to do so. We are taking one match at a time and our focus shifts on our next opponents Nepal (on April 06)”, she added.
Keeping their winning momentum alive after the success of their 5th consecutive SAFF title win, the Indian women spared little and heaped pressure on the opponents from the opening minute. Some crafty work down the wings by Sanju and Ratanbala Devi proved to wreak havoc on the opposition defence that wereunable to read the play of the Indian women between the lines. Sanju’s cross in the 24th minute caused chaos in the Indonesian defence with one defender almost turning it into an own goal, before clearing the lines.
Sandhiya’s run in the 26th minute, after she was found by Sanju left a trail of Indonesian defenders in her wake – sidestepping one and casually rolling the ball into the space to create a shot, beating another. Her stinger of a shot from inside the box was saved by the Indonesian custodian Riska Julianti but Dangmei Grace applied the finishing touches from close range to give India the lead in the 27th minute.
The India defence made quick work of any Indonesian counterattacks to equalize deficits with goalkeeper Linthoingambi Devi not being tested once under the sticks as India led 1-0 at half-time.
India’s momentum continued in the second half with little difference in the attacking tempo. Ratanbala Devi’s shot from distance in the 56th minute earned an uncanny save from the Indonesian goalkeeper as she fluffed a routine collection. Three minutes later Dangmei Grace failed to score from close range after Sanju found her with a rasping cross that bewildered the Indonesian defence line.
In the 67th minute, Dangmei Grace once again applied the finishing touches to a shot from Sumithra Kamaraj that was haphazardly parried away by Riska Julianti and fell in front of her, to double India’s lead.
With the Indian defence extinguishing whatever the Indonesian forwards could cajole, the midfield dominated possession and kept Indonesia on their toes, chasing the ball. The full-time scoreline read 2-0 in favour of India as the women take pole position in Group A of the Olympic Qualifiers Round 2.
https://the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=9557