International Friendlies: India vs Nepal Live Updates

6:30 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the India vs Nepal friendly match. The kick-off is just half an hour away! I’m your host Sathvik Bharadwaj, and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

Also read:

• Match report of the first friendly
• Indian women’s football team’s record in major tournaments

India vs Nepal build-up

India will look to iron out the shortcomings ahead of their second International friendly match against Nepal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, on Saturday, February 18, 2023.

The first match ended in a 2-2 draw after India took the lead in the second half through goals from Soumya Guguloth and Indumathi Kathiresan. However, Nepal left it late in injury time, when Sabitra Bhandari netted two goals in three minutes to draw level.

Indian Women’s Team Head Coach Thomas Dennerby sounded cautious on the eve of the second International friendly, saying, “We were certainly the better of the two sides on the day, and definitely should have closed that match with a comfortable win. It was just a few minor mistakes that led to those late goals.”

The Blue Tigresses coaching staff has been tirelessly working with the players to get smooth the creases, and Dennerby believes that these are the experiences that will eventually help the players ahead of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers First Round, where India has been placed in Group G, alongside the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan.

Despite the fact that the team had a near-comfortable victory snatched from under its feet, Dennerby was quite positive about how the Blue Tigresses are shaping up.

“Results don’t always reflect the real picture. Anybody who saw the last game can see that we were the better team. Some of the intricate moves that the girls had put together showed that they have a real aptitude for the game. As a coach, that gives me a lot of hope,” he said.

India will be without some key figures in the second friendly against Nepal, with the likes of Bala Devi and Aditi Chauhan joining Ashalata Devi and Ratanbala Devi on the treatment table. Dennerby, however, maintained a positive outlook.

“It’s quite a blow for the players and for the team as well. Aditi has an ACL, and Bala has shoulder injuries from a bad fall,” said Dennerby. “But we take it in our stride. This is also a good chance for the other players to step up to the plate and prove their mettle.”

Indumathi Kathiresan, who had the pleasure of scoring in an international match in her home state for the first time, feels that the support from the stands is something that the players really appreciate.

“We have not played in front of our home crowd for quite some time now, especially due to the pandemic. It was special,” she said. “We were heart-broken after the final whistle that we could not secure the win. But we surely want to win it for the fans in the next game.”