India beaten in SAF soccer semis, will play for Bronze now

Colombo, Aug 24 (UNI) Skipper Zaidinmawia Hmar's inability to convert a penalty shot in the extra time cost India dearly and the side went down 5-6 to hosts Sri Lanka via tie-breaker in the semifinal of the 10th SAF Games football event at the Sugathadasa Stadium here today.

The two teams were tied 1-1 after extra time.

India, who won Silver last year, will now play for the Bronze medal the loser of today's other semifinal match between Pakistan and Nepal.

With the regulation time failing to yield any goal, India grabbed the lead in the extra time when Lalramluaha bent it like Beckham from a freekick and the curling left-footer caught the entire Lankan defence napping, before finding the far post. Sri Lanka, however, equalised when Sadlan Perera converted a spot kick.

It was a goalmouth melee in the Indian box and the referee upheld the Lankan appeal that one of the Indian defenders had handled the ball. For Lanka, reduced to a 10-member after Ras Locha recveived his second yellow card of the match, Sadlan Perera converted the spot kick to equalise and give his team a fresh lease of life.

In the penalty shootout, Th Naoba Singh, Lal Kamal Bhowmik, Zaidinmawia Hmar, Sushil Singh and Baldeep Singh scored for India, while Lalramluaha, Rakesh Masih and Reisangmi Vashum failed with their shots.

For Sri Lanka, Sudara Madusanka, Nadeeka Handi, BG Sivanka, Rohana Ruwantillake, Nimal Fernando and Nuwantha Charaka converted, while Sadlin Perera and Dumindu Hettiarachchi wasted their chances.

India could have won the match but for the wasted spot kick opportunity and they proved equally timid in soccer's version of Russian Roulette, the penalty shootout.

It was indefatigable Th Naoba Singh's trojan effort down the right flank that saw a cross touching a Lankan defender's hand and the referee consulted the linesman before awarding India a penalty kick.

Captain Hmar, however, developed a cold feet and his weak push was collected by Lankan custodian-skipper S Sandun Devinda and that cost India dearly.

Hmar saved a sure goal from the goal-line but even that was not enough to make amends and India paid heavily for wasting the golden opportunity.

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