SAFF Cup final, as it happened: India lose 1-2 to Maldives

Stephen Constantine: “Let’s not forget that this is a very young team. This will be a good learning experience for them. I am proud of what they did in this competition.”

Full-time and its 2-1 to Maldives.

India fail to defend their title. They were lackadaisical and second best on the evening.

90+2’: GOAALLL!! India 1-2 Maldives

It’s Sumeet Passi with the goal! Poojary with a low cross which the Jamshedpur man converts. Three minutes for India to find an equaliser.

90’: India 0-2 Maldives

Five minutes added on. Maldives are close to clinching a second SAFF Cup title.

88’: India 0-2 Maldives

A lack of imagination from India, as their attack’s been thwarted all evening. Still, no shots on target for the Blue Tigers.

84’: India 0-2 Maldives

Maldives with another attack, as India are carved open far too easily. This is terrible defending, and Kaith will be happy the shot’s not on target.

79’: India 0-2 Maldives

Everyone misses Hitesh’s corner. No one can get on the end of it. Subhasish Bose was closest and knows that was a chance missed.

73’: India 0-2 Maldives

Anirudh Thapa is hooked, as Hitesh Sharma comes on. India are running out of time to salvage this.

65’: GOAALLL!! India 0-2 Maldives

Sarthak Golui with a terrible mistake, playing Ali Fasir online. The Maldives man calmly slots it past Kaith. India have a mountain to climb, as Sumeet Passi comes on.

61’: India 0-1 Maldives

Stephen Constantine having a chat with Shanmugham Venkatesh. Who will come on next?

54’: India 0-1 Maldives

Not ‘brilliant’ as the Indians are yet to have a shot on target. Faisal’s work has been straightforward this evening.

50’: India 0-1 Maldives.

The Blue Tigers haven’t shown any urgency tonight. Constantine will hope that the introduction of Germanpreet Singh can change that. Davinder Singh is off.

46’: India 0-1 Maldives

We kick-off for the second half.

Half-time and Maldives lead 1-0.

India, not having trailed throughout the competition, have gone behind and will hope to level things up.

43’: India 0-1 Maldives

Poojary’s deliveries have been wayward throughout this half. Shoddy crosses as India continue to play throughout the right. Meanwhile, D-Sport with a well-timed break before half-time.

37’: India 0-1 Maldives

Poojary does all the work, gets to the byline and puts in a cross which is pouched by the keeper.

33’: India 0-1 Maldives

Manvir with the snap-shot after some confusion in the box, but he doesn’t trouble Akram Ghanee.

25’: India 0-1 Maldives

India taking speculative long shots. Thapa concedes a foul and the referee gives him a stern warning.

19’: GOALLL!! India 0-1 Maldives

India find themselves in unfamiliar territory, having gone behind for the first time in this tournament. A ball is threaded through to Ibrahim Hussain, and he dinks it over Vishal Kaith.

15’: India 0-0 Maldives

Both sides sloppy at the start and concede cheap possession. Constantine showing his frustration at his side’s inability to keep the ball.

5’: India 0-0 Maldives

Thapa with the short corner, rolls it to Poojary who delivers a ball onto the head of Salam Ranjan Singh. The defender can’t connect cleanly to it.

1’: India 0-0 Maldives

We have kick-off!

6:20 pm: Constantine names an unchanged line-up for the final. Subhasish Bose will be the captain tonight, as Manvir Singh and Farukh Chowdhury start up front for India. Remember, Manvir scored two goals against Pakistan in the semi-final, as India managed a 3-1 win.

Welcome to the Field’s live blog of the SAFF Cup final. India are set to take on Maldives at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka.