Indian eves suffer defeat at FIFA Women’s International Friendlies

The senior Indian women’s national team suffered a second narrow defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan, going down 0-1 in the second of two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru

Hyderabad: The senior Indian women’s national team suffered a second narrow defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan, going down 0-1 in the second of two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Despite an improved and spirited performance, the Blue Tigresses were undone by a moment of brilliance from Nilufar Kudratova early in the second half.

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Tuesday’s encounter, following the 0-1 loss in the first friendly, offered hope for redemption. And while India showed marked improvement — especially in their intensity and intent — the scoreline, unfortunately, remained the same.

The defence, led by the tireless efforts of Thokchom Martina and her backline partners, worked hard to contain Uzbekistan’s pacey attack. Their positioning and communication were much sharper, and when the backline was breached, goalkeeper Payal Basude stood tall.

She made a string of crucial saves in the first half, most notably after Nozimakhon Ergasheva rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike in the 11th minute.

Result: Uzbekistan 1 (Nilufar Kudratova 49’) bt India 0