SAFF Cup, India vs Maldives as it happened: Poojary and Manvir give India 2-0 win

Sri Lanka meanwhile will get knocked out due to the toss of a coin. Maldives will face Nepal in the semi-final.

India are through to the semi-finals against Pakistan. The two neighbours will face off on Wednesday evening.

Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh with two goals, enough for this SAFF Cup win. Stephen Constantine will be satisfied with twin 2-0 wins over Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Full-time and it’s 2-0 to India.

The Blue Tigers are through to the semi-finals of the SAFF Cup. The sub-continental heavyweights do it again on this evening.

90’: India 2-0 Maldives

We have five minutes of this wonderful football action left. We are deeply sad indeed.

87’: Substitution for India. They lead Maldives 2-0.

Nikhil Poojary, the goalscorer is taken off for Hitesh Sharma.

Meanwhile, we’re sure that Kaith save sent shockwaves through Deutscheland.

78’: India 2-0 Maldives

Vishal Kaith comes out and keeps his clean sheet intact.

74’: India 2-0 Maldives

Maldives continue to attack the Indian goal in this 2nd half as this game meanders to a close. We’re sure the patrons at the Bangabandhu Stadium are as thrilled at this display of football as we are.

67’: India 2-0 Maldives

The game’s pace has tailed off in the second half, with the ball being bogged down in midfield.

63’: India 2-0 Maldives

Maldives with a substitution. India have made their first sub at half-time.

53’: India 2-0 Maldives

Farukh Choudhary is through on goal but it is unable to finish. Meanwhile, the handle has a piece of sagely advice for Davinder. ‘CALM DOWN’, it says.

52’: India 2-0 Maldives

India have a corner. Thapa to take it.

46: India 2-0 Maldives

The half resumes, with Vignesh D substituting Lallinzuala Chhangte.

Half-time: India 2-0 Maldives

Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh have bagged the goals for team India. With this scoreline, India are going through to the semi-finals.

45+1’: India 2-0 Maldives

India almost concede from a Maldives counter as Hasan just puts his shot wide of Kaith’s goal. The Indian defence were asleep and almost paid for it.

45’: GOAALLL!! India 2-0 Maldives

Manvir Singh receives a ball from Thapa, rounds the keeper and scores. It’s terrible defending from Maldives but India won’t mind. 2-0 to India.

43’: India 1-0 Maldives

The Indian football team’s official handle confirms that Nikhil Poojary becomes the second ‘boy’ (man?) to slot in his maiden international goal during this SAFF Cup.

37’: GOAALLL!! India 1-0 Maldives

Nikhil Poojary driving in from the right, passes it to Farukh Choudhary and gets it back. The 22-year-old has a kind deflection on the return pass to thank and slots it in with his left.

34’: India 0-0 Maldives

Salam Ranjan with a chance as Thapa’s ball is played to him in the box. He spins but the shot is poor.

32’: India 0-0 Maldives

Maldives with a shot at Vishal Kaith’s goal but it is saved. Poojary’s chance still the biggest of the evening.

23’: India 0-0 Maldives

We’re not sure about any screw tightening but India with a sustained spell of passing but it ends with Jerry lobbing the ball into the opposition keeper’s arms.

18’: India 0-0 Maldives

Another corner for Maldives. It’s safe to say that barring the Poojary chance, they have dominated the opening exchanges.

11’: India 0-0 Maldives

Poojari with a free header inside the box as Thapa delivers a good cross to the far post. The header is wayward.

10’: India 0-0 Maldives

Bizarre scrambled in the Maldives box almost results in India going ahead from a poor clearance. Arif’s header clatters the crossbar and Maldives survive.

5’: India 0-0 Maldives

Maldives have started this game very positively. They’ve taken the game to the Indians and Subhasish Bose has been called into action a couple of times.

6:30 pm: India 0-0 Maldives.

We have kick-off.

6:25 pm: There are four changes to the side that defeated Sri Lanka. Manvir Singh comes in for Sumeet Passi, as does Jerry Lalrinzuala for Sajid Dhot with Subhasish Bose moving to centre-back.

Goalscorer Kuruniyan is replaced by Nikhil Kadam. There’s another change in defence as Davinder Singh is in for Sarthak Golui.

Welcome to the Field’s live blog for the SAFF Cup match between India and Maldives. Stephen Constantine’s team had beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 before hand, with goals from Lallinzuala Chhangte and Ashique Kuruniyan sealing victory.