SAFF Cup had been missing the audience up till now. But people selling the Indian flag and jersey on the way to the stadium ahead of India’s opening clash against Sri Lanka had to be a good indication. And staying true to the Christmas spirit, fans started occupying the stands an hour before the match started. By the time the teams took to the field, there was considerable noise and continuous blowing of the bugle — a throwback to the infamous Vuvuzelas in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
After 90 minutes were over, India had won 2-0, both goals scored by the Bengaluru FC and Delhi Dynamos striker Robin Singh. Sri Lanka, just like their first game against Nepal, came out with no intention to score a goal. They wanted to defend till their last breath, get a draw and progress to semi-finals. But as we have seen time and again, parking the bus doesn’t always work out.
And while the men in blue can take some positives off the match, head coach Stephen Constantine would be worried about a few things that need to be addressed if India plans to clinch the SAFF Cup.