India defeated Pakistan 1-0 on Sunday in an emotionally-charged
opener to take the lead in a two-match football series, the first
between the arch-rivals for nine years.
The hosts hung on to
their slender lead after captain Sunil Chhetri scored in the 44th minute
in front of thousands of cheering home fans at the Bangalore Football
Stadium.
Match officials had initially awarded the goal to striker Robin Singh but changed their decision based on the referee's report.
Indians regrouped to launch a counter-attack after Pakistan dominated the proceedings in the first few minutes.
"I
am overall happy with the game. Pakistan started better but we took it
over and had a lot of possession," said India coach Wim Koevermans.
"The atmosphere in the stadium was simply electric. This is what football is all about. It's about the fans."
Midfielder Pronoy Halder came close to scoring in the 16th minute, only to be thwarted by Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif.
The hosts squandered at least three more scoring chances before Chhetri found success just a minute from the break.
Pakistan
nearly equalised early in the second half, but keeper Amrinder Singh
did well to stop captain Kalleemullah's close-range header from going
into the net.
"Now that we have had a look at India, we will
strategise accordingly (in the next game)," said Pakistan coach Muhammad
Shamlan Al-Mubarak. "We need to recover fast... We are confident about a
positive result."
India were reduced to 10 men when Robin Singh
received his second yellow card of the game. The star striker shook his
head in disappointment as he walked off the field.
Tempers became
frayed on a number of occasions and angry words were exchanged,
reflecting the high tensions associated with sporting clashes between
India and Pakistan.
The football series is the first since India toured Pakistan in 2005 in a three-match contest.
India
suspended sporting ties with its neighbour in the aftermath of the
deadly 2008 attacks on Mumbai, blamed on militants from Pakistan.
That deadlock hurt cricket the most, a game with which millions are obsessed on both sides of the border.
The
current football series offers the teams an opportunity to assess their
strengths and weaknesses before the Asian Games in South Korea next
month.
India have long struggled in world football and are
currently ranked 150th out of 208 in the governing body FIFA's rankings,
while Pakistan are 164th.
The second and final game will be played on Wednesday.
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