India beat Maldives 11-1 in second match

The Indian women’s football team began the New Year with an 11-1 win over the Maldives at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Lhingdeikim (12’, 16’, 56’, 59’) scored four goals on debut. Kajol Dsouza (15’), Hawwa Haneefa (17’ own goal), Pooja (41’), Sibani Devi (45+1’), Simran Gurung (62’, 68’) and Khumukcham Bhumika Devi (71’) netted the rest for India. Mariyam Rifa (27’) scored the only goal for the visitors.

The Blue Tigresses, 69th in the women’s football rankings, led world No. 163 Maldives 6-1 at half-time.

Maldives, who lost the first game on Monday with a 14-0 scoreline, started the game positively. India goalkeeper Linthoingambi Devi made a couple of regulation saves early on but once India settled into the game, they were up by four goals by the 17th minute.

Lhingdeikim scored the first with a right-footed drive from inside the box, before setting up Kajol Dsouza in the 15th minute. The debutant scored her second goal a minute later, this time, being fed a through ball by Sibani. Maldives captain Hawwa Haneefa’s own goal made four in India’s favour.

Despite conceding four early goals, Maldives composed themselves for a brief period and pulled one back through Mariyam Rifa in the 27th minute.

Striker Pooja and winger Sibani added one goal each late into the first half.

Lhingdeikim began the scoring in the second half as well, finishing a lay-off by Pooja in the 56th minute. Three minutes later, she scored her fourth goal of the match.

Substitute Simran Gurung, also on her debut, added two more goals after replacing Basfore at half-time.

The Maldives were down to 10 players in the last 20 minutes when Maeesha Abdul Hannan was sent off for a deliberate handball inside the penalty box. Bhumika Devi converted the resulting penalty to complete a clinical win for India.

While it was a huge win for Indian women, an 18-0 win against Bhutan in the 2010 SAFF Championship remains their biggest.

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