If the India vs Pakistan SAFF Championship football match made headlines days before it was scheduled to be played due to visa issues for the travelling Pakistan team, it made bigger headlines a day after the game thanks to some very good football played by the Indian team as well as an ugly fracas that saw players and coaches get involved and ended with a straight red card for Indian coach, Igor Stimac.
HOW THE BRAWL STARTED
Late into the first half cameras picked up the Indian coach, Simac knocking the ball out of Pakistan defender Abdullah Iqbal's hands as the player attempted to take a quick throw-in. This of course angered the Pakistan players as they rushed towards Stimac, gesturing angrily. One of the players, Rahis Nabi, who plays for English club Redditch United, had a heated exchange with Stimac. The referees got into the thick of things, while Indian players rushed towards the melee as well.
Indian defender Pritam Kotal and Iqbal were contesting for the ball as both players wanted to take the throw-in. Clearly, Stimac felt the ball had touched the Pakistan player before going out of the field of play and that the throw-in should have been awarded to India.
1/10:Captain Chhetri scores a hat-trick as India thrash Pakistan 4-0
AFP
2/10:'Goal machine' Chhetri
<p>Sunil Chhetri's glittering hat-trick laced India's 4-0 win over Pakistan in their SAFF Championship opener as the talisman became the second-highest Asian goalscorer in international football.<br /></p>PTI
3/10:90 international goals for Chhetri
<p>Ali Daei of Iran holds the record with 109 goals from 149 matches. Chhetri has 90 strikes to his name.<br /></p>AFP
4/10:Pak no match for India
<p>From the beginning of the match itself India brought forth their experience and class into play. Pakistan had pockets of doughty resistance, but they were not a match to India's cohesion and purpose.<br /></p>TOI Sports
5/10:Vintage Chhetri
<p>Chhetri had shown sparks of his old ebullient self in the Intercontinental Cup final against Lebanon at Odisha on Sunday, and the Indian skipper stepped on the pedal on his 'home turf'.<br /></p>TOI Sports
6/10:Goal rush starts early
<p>After getting a quick feel of the surface and their opponents, India started the goal rush as early as in the 10th minute through Chhetri, who netted through a fine field goal.<br /></p>TOI Sports
7/10:Soon it's 2-0
<p>Six minutes later, the talismanic forward doubled the lead through a penalty and at 2-0, the route which the match took was clear.<br /></p>PTI
8/10:It's India 2, Pak 0 at break
<p>India pressed for more goals in the first half, but they could not add to the tally as Pakistan defence held their own. <br /></p>TOI Sports
9/10:Red card for India coach
<p>However, the first-half ended in a rather disappointing note for India despite a handy 2-0 lead. An unnecessary attempt to impede a Pakistan player from taking the throw-in by coach Igor Stimac resulted in him being slapped with a red card.<br /></p>TOI Sports
10/10:India march on
<p>But that did not snap India's momentum in the second half. The hosts pressed forward like a giant wave in search of more goals. The big moment came in the 74th minute when India made it 3-0.<br /></p>TOI SportsHOW IT ESCALATED
What followed was bedlam as members of India's support staff clashed with Pakistan players. Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan was involved in a mini scuffle with a Pakistan player and members of Pakistan's support staff also rushed onto the field.
Pakistan Head Coach, Shehzad Anwar also got involved.
Pakistan's goal-keeping coach Marcelo Schroeder Costa was visibly animated. He shoved a few Indian players and angrily pointed his finger at some. India's assistant coach, Mahesh Gawli told reporters after the match that Costa had headbutted Indian team manager Velu Dhayalamani on the field and that Pakistan players had pushed Indian coach, Stimac.
CALMER HEADS PREVAILED
India captain Sunil Chhetri and Pakistan's Number 10 were seen calming things down, along with the referees. Eventually both sets of players and coaches were separated and the match resumed.
THE FALLOUT
The referee showed a straight red card to India coach Igor Stimac. He was no longer allowed to stay on the touchline for the rest of the match and assistant coach Mahesh Gawli oversaw proceedings for India.
Pakistan Head Coach Shehzad Anwar was shown a yellow card and the same punishment was meted out to players Rahis Nabi and Sandesh Jhingan.
WHO SAID WHAT
Mahesh Gawli, India Assistant Coach - "It was an offense that if you go by the book often attracts a red card. But then we feel it might have been a bit harsh on the coach....Pakistan players came and pushed him (Stimac). Either the referee didn't see that or deliberately didn't give (red cards to the Pak players)....There wasn't any red card for any (Pak) official, despite one of them headbutting our manager."
Torben Witajewski, Pakistan Analyst and Assistant Coach - "We did not initiate it, so I think we are on the fair side.”
THE MATCH RESULT
India won the match 4-0 thanks largely to a hat-trick by captain Sunil Chhetri. It was a very good result for the Men in Blue, not just because it was a good start to the tournament for them, but also because the Pakistan team, though ranked below India in the FIFA rankings (195th), have as many as 9 players who play in foreign leagues.
India's next match is vs Nepal on Saturday.
