9-man India defeats 10-man Bhutan 1-0 in SAFF U-20 Championship

KATHMANDU: India defeated Bhutan 1-0 in its first match of the 2024 SAFF U-20 Championship at the ANFA Complex Ground in Satdobato on Monday.

Monirul Mulla scored the only goal of the match in the 37th minute to give all three points to India. Mulla met Kelvin’s well-taken corner inside the box and headed the ball into the bottom corner beyond the diving Bhutanese goalie.

Bhutan had a one-man advantage for more than 25 minutes in the second half but failed to make it count. The referee gave marching orders to two Indian players – Paramveer and Vanlalpeka Guite – and Bhutanese player Kinley Gyeltshen following a scuffle in the 69th minute. Both sides missed good chances in the 10 minutes of injury time.

Six member nations of SAARC countries are participating in the regional age-group tournament. Nepal is in Group ‘A’ which also includes Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while Group B includes India, Bhutan and the Maldives.

Bangladesh takes on Sri Lanka in the second match of Group ‘A’ on Tuesday.