SAFF U16 Women’s Championship: India begin campaign with seven-goal fest against Bhutan

Anushka Kumari scored a hat-trick in the first-half.

India’s campaign in the SAFF U-16 Women’s Championship began on an easy note when they trounced Bhutan 7-0 at the ANFA Complex, Lalitpur, Nepal, on Friday, March 1, 2024. The winners led 6-0 at halftime.

Thirteen-year-old Hazaribagh girl Anuksha Kumari, who earned her name by scoring 22 goals in the Sub-junior tier 1, tore the Bhutan defense open to come up with a hat-trick. Striker Pearl Fernandes (2), Shveta Rani and substitute Anwita Raghuraman were other goalscorers for the Young Tigresses.

The four-team tournament also features hosts Nepal and Bangladesh. The two top teams will play the final on March 10, 2024.

Bhutan had always been the favorite whipping side for India in the SAFF region and Friday was no exception. It didn’t take the goodly crowd around much time to realize the hopelessly one-sided nature of the contest as Bibi Thomas’s girls pumped in five goals in 27 minutes against their hapless opponents.

India were on the rampage right from the start, with their midfielders and attackers moving almost unchallenged in the Bhutan area. Skipper and winger Shveta Rani decided to open the Indian account herself and found the mark with a right-footer off a combined move.

The floodgate opened thereafter. Between the 13th and 27th minutes, India netted four more, with the fourth goal by Pearl Fernandes certainly the best of the day. The Goa girl unleashed a long ranger that curled into the corner of the net, leaving Bhutan goalkeeper Kelzang Wangmo baffled. The Bhutan goalkeeper, despite conceding so many goals, was perhaps the best player on her team, as her valiant efforts saved her team from further embarrassment.

If the Indian head coach was looking for an opportunity to test the true capabilities of her wards for bigger battles ahead, then he had to be disappointed to some extent. If his midfielders and attackers had an easy passage, then her defense was hardly tested. Goalkeeper Surajmuni Kumari didn’t have to exert at all, as her rival attackers could rarely ever reach the India box.

If the flow of goals somewhat dried up in the second session, it could partly be because of a lack of experience and the complacency factor. Overall, it was a good show by the Young Tigresses, the majority of whom had never had any international exposure. Yet, they played their passes, both long and short ones, confidently and displayed an understanding that would help them in the title hunt over the next eight days.

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