London, May 28 (IANS) Indian men’s football team suffered a 0-2 loss to Jamaica in the semifinal of the Unity Cup at The Valley.
Courtney Clarke’s stunning early strike in the eighth minute and Kaheim Dixon’s solo effort in the 78th minute ensured the Reggae Boyz marched into the final.
India, playing their first match on British soil since 2002, will face Zimbabwe, who went down to Nigeria in the first semi-final on Tuesday, in the third-place play-off on May 30. Nigeria will meet Jamaica in a repeat of last year’s final.
The match marked several important individual moments. Noufal PN and Ricky Shabong made their senior national team debuts, while Edmund Lalrindika was handed his first-ever start for India.
Before India could settle into rhythm, Jamaica struck with ruthless efficiency.
A quick Jamaican counter sliced through India’s shape in the eighth minute, forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into a sharp save from a tight angle. Yet the danger was far from over. India failed to clear their lines, and Clarke intercepted a loose pass before scoring in emphatic fashion. With composure, he shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a breathtaking strike into the top-right corner beyond Sandhu’s desperate dive.
Jamaica continued to attack with confidence, stretching the Indian defence through the wings and exploiting spaces with alarming ease. Dixon nearly doubled the advantage in the 17th minute when he burst through on goal, but Sandhu stood tall and made a brave stop to keep India alive.
As the half wore on, India slowly managed to steady themselves. There were flashes of neat passing and moments of controlled possession, but the India lacked creativity in the final third. Ryan Williams, Chhangte, and Lalrindika struggled to influence the game, and India reached half-time without seriously testing Jamaica goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke.
Yet India emerged after the break with greater urgency and belief as they nearly found a lifeline in the 53rd minute after a mistake from the Jamaican defence and goalkeeper.
Roshan seized upon a loose ball and played Rahim Ali through on goal after the striker had replaced Lalrindika at half-time. However, Ali had strayed offside, so Chhangte’s follow-up finish into the empty net did not count.
The chance, though, transformed the momentum of the match. India suddenly looked alive. Khalid Jamil’s men tried to make a match of it in the second half, pushing higher up the pitch and probing the Jamaican defence with far greater intent. The Blue Tigers finally began asking questions, forcing Jamaica onto the back foot during their best spell of the contest.
But just when India seemed capable of finding a way back, Dixon produced a moment of magic that put paid to all their hopes.
The Charlton Athletic winger, playing at his home stadium, collected the ball near the edge of the area in the 78th minute and danced past defenders with dazzling footwork. With one quick drop of the shoulder, he created space before drilling a low shot through Akash Mishra’s legs and into the far bottom corner beyond Sandhu.
India’s resistance faded after the second strike as Jamaica comfortably saw out the remainder of the contest to book their place in the final.
–IANS
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