India vs Pakistan LIVE: IND vs PAK LIVE: n a major turn of events, Pakistan faced a calamity as their goalkeeper made a critical passing error, resulting in a golden opportunity for India.
Sunil Chhetri seized the chance and skillfully scored a goal, bringing joy to the Indian team. Shortly after, the Indian skipper doubled the lead within minutes through a penalty kick, awarded for a handball inside the box that prevented a shot from Thapa. Chhetri confidently stepped up to take the penalty, calmly slotting it past the diving goalkeeper into the lower right corner of the net.
Eight-time champions India are drawn into Group A alongside Nepal, Kuwait and Pakistan. The other competing teams are Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh who have been drafted into Group B.
Placed low in the pecking order, Pakistan might not offer India a massive challenge but the Blue Tigers will be eager to start their campaign on a rousing note, and give other aspirants a strong message.
The Intercontinental Cup victory will add to their desire to land another trophy to the cabinet. India had warded off strong opponent Lebanon 2-0 on Sunday at the Kalinga Stadium to win the event.
India enters the competition with a strong run of results, which included a triumphant Hero Intercontinental Cup campaign. The Blue Tigers will be attempting to increase their total of victories and goals, but they must be cautious when playing the Pakistani Falcons.
An unbeaten run of 6 games, and Sunil Chhetri’s 87 goals for India, the stakes for this tournament is really high. A victory in the SAFF tournament will also help India gain some valuable FIFA Ranking points and go up in the ladder.
In 2023, Shahzad Anwar led squad has failed to pick up a single victory. Pakistan also went down 0-3 to Mauritius and 1-3 to Djibouti. The squad has had many difficulties along the way to becoming a successful football team. They have lost their past nine matches across all competitions, with their last win being a 3-0 triumph against Bhutan at the 2018 SAFF Championships.