India sweep past 10-man Nepal to win SAFF U-17 football championship

Nepal 4-0 in the final in Colombo. Boby Singh, Korou Singh, captain Vanlalpeka Guite and Aman scored a goal each in India's resounding victory. In the group league, Nepal had defeated India 3-1. However, in the final, India looked a side eager to take a complete charge of the proceedings right from the word go. They got off the blocks early in the match, looking to find the gaps in the Nepal defence, and managed to get the lead in the 18th minute through Boby, who headed it into the goal at the far post, after a good piece of play between Ricky Meetei and Guite, as the latter sailed a cross towards the eventual goal-scorer.

Guite was in the thick of things again 12 minutes later, getting another assist to his name, as he played a through ball to Korou Singh, who just had to round the keeper and slot it home. The second goal meant that Nepal began attacking the Indian half with a lot more urgency, but the Indian midfield was managing to frustrate their efforts. The frustration came to the surface in the 39th minute, when Nepal captain Prashant Laksam elbowed Danny Laishram in the back after the two tangled up in a challenge – an action that was straightaway awarded with a red card by the referee. With the man advantage, India saw out the rest of the first half, before resuming the proceedings after the change of ends. Soon enough, Guite netted a goal of his own in the 63rd minute, when his cross from the left swerved into the top corner, handing India a 3-0 lead.

Nepal's second-half substitute Dhan Singh did create a couple of chances for his side in the closing minutes, but the one man advantage meant that India were able to thwart the efforts. At the other end, India's second half substitute Aman added salt into the