SAFF Cup: Sri Lanka pull off last-minute upset, beat Nepal 1-0 in low-key opening match
THE 2015 SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP got off to a rather low-key start at the Greenfield Stadium in Trivandrum today with the featured tie of the day between India and Pakistan being cancelled due to the latter pulling out and the 150-odd matchday crowd being treated to a Group A tournament opener clash betwen Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Despite being just two steps above Sri Lanka (194) in the FIFA rankings, Nepal came into the game as favourites; their young squad has had some positive results in the recent past, including a draw against India at Pune back in September.
As the match began there were signs of organizational faux-pas as both teams took to the pitch wearing similar colours; a mistake that was only corrected at half-time. Then early in the second half a stray dog ran right onto the pitch and drew the loudest cheer from the crowd which thankfully also chased it off.
In the first half, it was Nepal as expected who did most of the attacking. An early cross from Kavindu Ishan rolled past the Sri Lanka goalmouth with no Gorkhali feet nearby to tap it in. Then a Rohin Chand header saw Lanka keeper Don Sujan Perera leap towards it to pull of an airborne, one-handed save.
Towards the end of the half, Nepal medio Anjan Bista made a couple of efforts. His first wasn't that impressive; a long-ranger that went way above the target. Then he ran in to feed striker Rohit Chand inside the box whose shot wasn't on target either. Later, receiving the ball bang in the middle of the box, Bista shot the ball directly at the Lanka keeper.
The second half began with Nepal striker Bimal Gharti Magar failing to properly receive a cross and falling down, laying one of the best chances of the game to waste. Minutes later a cross from Anil Gurung saw Bimal once again fumble and fall as the bal rolled out of his reach.
Sri Lanka, who had been reduced to mostly defending and surviving thanks to the wastefulness of Nepal attackers, got a free kick from a good distance towards the middle of the second half. Captain Nalaka stepped up to take the shot, and his curler aimed at a corner almost went in. Nepal keeper Limbu proved to be vigilant enough, jumping to his right and barely managing to slap the ball away for a corner in a game where he had otherwise been tested very little.
Nepal replied with a powerful run by substitute Jagjeet Shreshtha who let fly from just outside the penalty box. His high shot dipped dangerously low and missed the crossbar by about six inches. Startled, Lanka keeper Perera made a jump for it, and landed painfully on the post, injuring himself in the process. Thankfully he recovered and was able to carry on.
More injuries were to follow. A high ball into the Lanka box saw Anjan Bista and a defender lep for it, with Anjan sneakily lifting his boot to hurt his opponent. Both collided mid-air and fell, but Anjan got his due as the referee booked him.
As the injury time kicked in Nepal grew desperate to avoid an upset draw but a bigger upset was waiting for them. Towards the very end, Mohamed Rifnas managed to push his way past two Nepal defenders and then slotted in as the entire Nepal defence could only look on dumbfounded. It was literally one of the last moves of the match and it earned the Sri Lanka national team one of their most memorable victories in 2015.
Moments later, the final whistle rang out and players and coaching staff celebrated alike. Coming into the tournament as an underdog, they are now literally one step away to qualify for the semi-finals; they'll make the top four if they get a draw against India on Christmas evening; or if India beat Nepal on 27th. For a team that has not had an impactful performance in SAFF Championship since winning it in 1995, Sri Lanka have had a tremendous start to their campaign.
Starting Line-Ups:
Nepal - Kiran Kumar Limbu (gk), Biraj Maharjan, Aditya Chaudhary, Anjan Bista, Anil Gurung (C), Heman Gurung, Bikram Lama, Jitendra Karki, Ranjit Dhimal, Bimal Gharti Magar, Rohit Chand
Sri Lanka - W.S.T. Don Sujan Perera (gk), M. Chalana Chameera, H.D.W. Hettiarachchi, Johar Mohamed Zarwan, L.H. Kavindu Ishan, M.C. Mohamed Rifnas, R.A.A. Nalaka (C), I.M.C. Sajith Kumara, M.K.M Hakeem, H.D. Madushan De Silva, K.W.S. Danushka Wijesiri
