Picture Credit: X

Picture Credit: X

The semi-final match between India and Nepal in the South Asian Football Federation's (SAFF) women's competition didn't go well. Besides India's loss in the match, the crowd violence further intensified the situation. Now, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) has issued a statement that it will write to SAFF about the incident in Kathmandu.

“The All-India Football Federation has taken note of the incidents that happened during the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024 semi-final in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The AIFF will write to SAFF regarding the incidents and take it up at the appropriate platform. The India U19 women’s team faced an almost similar situation in a SAFF tournament in the recent past (in Bangladesh last February), and the AIFF feels such things are not good for the development of football in the region,” the AIFF’s statement read.

Nepal knock out India in 4-2 penalty shoot-out

The match played at the Dasharath Rangashala Football Stadium got interrupted when Nepal's Rekha Poudel was sent off after receiving a second booking. An irate audience supported the team and started hurling missiles, causing a commotion, resulting in the assistant referee breaking her line as Nepal disputed Bhutan referee Om Choki's decision.

After 12 minutes, the game restarted, and Sangita Basfore's long-range goal in the 62nd minute gave India the lead. Nepal threw the ball into an empty net as the players gathered in the dugout to celebrate, presumably as a result of Choki blowing the whistle to restart. When the goal was denied, there was mayhem.

The situation went out of control, as bottles filled with urine were thrown on the ground. Watching this, the Nepal team left the pitch, but the Indian team stood firm. It took more than one hour for the game to begin. This was the second time the India women's team faced such an irate crowd situation in SAFF competition in 2024. Before this, a similar situation happened in Dhaka on February 24 following their coin-toss victory in the under-19 final. Three hours after mob unrest, Bangladesh and India were proclaimed joint winners.