2023 SAFF Championship, India humble Pakistan 4-0: Key stats
The Indian football team started its 2023 SAFF Championship campaign with a 4-0 win against arch-rival Pakistan on the tournament's opening day on Wednesday at Bengaluru's Kanteerava Stadium. Sunil Chhetri scored inside sixteen minutes to hand India a 2-0 lead. India scored two more and snatched a crucial win in Group A. Notably, India head coach Igor Stimac was sent off before half-time.
India extend their record against Pakistan
This was the first India-Pakistan football clash since 2018. Overall, the two rivals have met each other a total of 27 times, with India having a massive upper hand in this regard. India have registered 14 wins, while 10 games have ended in a draw. Meanwhile, Pakistan have emerged victorious only three times. Their last meeting ended in a 2-1 win for India.
Eight successive clean sheets and a 17-game unbeaten run
India have kept eight clean sheets across competitions. India, who won the Intercontinental Cup recently, kept four clean sheets in the tourney. Before that, India kept clean sheets against Kyrgyzstan (friendly), Myanmar (friendly), and Hong Kong (AFC Asian Cup qualification 3rd round). India are unbeaten in 17 matches, facing their last defeat against Qatar in June 2021, in the World Cup Qualifiers second round.
Hat-trick for Sunil Chhetri
Chhetri scored the opener in the 10th minute after the Pakistan goalie made an error by miskicking a ball at the edge of the box. Minutes later, Chhetri converted a penalty. As half-time approached, Stimac needlessly interrupted Pakistan's Abdullah Iqbal from taking a quick throw and things got heated up. In the second half, Chhetri scored a penalty before Udanta Singh Kumam added another.
Key stats from the match
India made 23 attempts out of which seven have been on target. India had 70% ball possession and clocked an 85% pass accuracy. Meanwhile, Pakistan had six attempts, failing to register a single shot on target.
Chhetri races to 90 goals, achieves this record
Chhetri has raced to 90 goals for India and is now the fourth-highest scorer in men's international football. Chhetri surpassed Malaysia star Mokhtar Dahari, who scored 89 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo (123), Ali Daei (109), and Lionel Messi (103) are above Chhetri in terms of goals.
