India outplay Pakistan in SAFF Cup semifinal

LAHORE: India beat Pakistan in the semi-final of the SAFF Championship in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The two sides met for the first time in nearly five years but after a solid rock resistance, Pakistan went down to a much superior side 1-3. India thus emerged as a better side of the two after they failed to find any opening in the first half.Manvir Singh struck twice in the second half before Sumeet Passi clinically headed home a pass as defending champions India breezed past Pakistan.

After a goalless first-half, Manvir scored his first in the 49th minute only to double the score-line twenty minutes later. Substitute Passi sealed the fate of the match in the 83rd minute. For Pakistan Hassan Bashir reduced the margin in the 88th minute.

India will now meet Maldives in the summit clash on Saturday. Maldives made short work of Nepal 3-0 in the first semi-final.Seasoned Pakistan goalkeeper Yusuf Butt also came up with some spectacular saves to keep the Indians at bay in the first-half – the most notable being his save to deny Subhashish Bose’s volley off an Anirudh Thapa corner.

India survived a scare in the 39th minute when Pakistan earned an indirect free-kick at the edge of the 6-yard box but Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith came up with back to back saves to deny Pakistan.