London, May 28: 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. (IANS)
