Indian players and support staff pose for photos with the trophy after winning the SAFF U-19 Championship 2023, at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. India beat Pakistan 3-0 in the final.
credit: X/@IndianFootball
India came up with a solid performance as they hammered arch-rivals Pakistan 3-0 to win the SAFF Men's U-19 Championship here on Saturday.
Manglenthang Kipgen (64', 85') and Gwgwmsar Goyary (90+5') found the back of the net for the Blue Colts at the Dashrath Stadium.
It was India's eighth youth title in the SAFF championships, a clear testimony of their regional supremacy.
Substitute Kipgen once again emerged as the hero for the Indians.
Following his nerve-wracking winning penalty strike against hosts Nepal in the semi-final on Wednesday, Kipgen continued to shine as he scored the first two goals to literally slam the doors on Pakistan's ambitions.
Kipgen had a role to play in the third goal, too, as his clever chip resulted in Goyary scoring the third goal in the add-on time.
The India youngster's impactful presence came to life when he came on as a substitute for Ebindas Yesudasan at the commencement of the second half, with the score still locked at 0-0.
However, it didn't prevent him from leaving an indelible mark on the match.
What also made this achievement all the more remarkable is that for the vast majority of the Indian squad, this SAFF U-19 Championship marked their first international tournament representing their nation.
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