India book semifinal berth in SAFF U-20 championship
India Under-20 men’s team defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the SAFF Championship in Maldives, powered by Punjab FC academy players. Omang Dodum scored a brace as India advanced to the knockout stage and will face Bangladesh next
Hyderabad: Roundglass Punjab FC Academy athletes delivered a masterclass performance to power the India Under-20 men’s national team to a commanding 3-0 victory over Pakistan in their SAFF Under-20 Championship in Maldives.
The high-octane clash at the National Football Stadium in Malé saw the Blue Colts secure their spot in the semifinals while simultaneously eliminating Pakistan from the tournament.
The Indian squad got off to a fiery start, with academy talent heavily involved in the opening breakthrough and ultimately accounting for every goal scored in the match. In just the third minute, Gurnaj Singh displayed exceptional vision, floating a perfectly weighted through ball into the box. Vishal Yadav, the third youngest player to make his Indian Super League (ISL) debut for Punjab FC, controlled the aerial pass brilliantly under immense pressure and slotted it past the Pakistan goalkeeper at the near post to give India an early 1-0 advantage.
While Pakistan created several equalising opportunities in the first half, the Indian defence and goalkeeper Suraj Aheibam stood tall, making crucial saves to maintain the clean sheet. The second half, however, belonged entirely to Omang Dodum, who stepped up to seal the victory with a spectacular brace and was deservedly named the Player of the Match, ensuring that all three of India’s goals came from Punjab FC academy players. Dodum, notably the only returning member from India’s previous SAFF title-winning squad, continued his strong attacking form from last year.
In the 64th minute, Dodum doubled India’s lead after timing his run to perfection, heading home a brilliant first-time effort off a crossfield diagonal from substitute Rishi. Dodum then capped off a stellar individual and team performance in the dying minutes of the game. After teammate Prashan Jajo was brought down inside the box in the 84th minute, Dodum confidently converted the resulting penalty into the top corner in the 88th minute to make it 3-0.
Apart from the two goalscorers, the Indian U-20 squad features four more players from the Punjab FC academy, underlining the club as having one of the best youth systems in the country. This six-member contingent, Vishal, Dodum, Karish Soram, Usham Singh Thoungamba, Rishikanta Meitei Laishram and Aniket Yadav, formed the core of the Punjab FC squad that recently won the AIFF U-17 Youth League.
With this commanding victory, the Indian side comfortably advanced to the knockout stages. The Blue Colts will next face Bangladesh on March 28 to conclude their group-stage campaign.
