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The India Under-17 national team under their new head coach Luís Norton de Matos suffered a 0-1 friendly loss in his first match in-charge against Minerva Punjab FC colts, the current double U-16 Youth League champions of India.
After the cancellation of their two friendlies against Mali due to FIFA suspension in early-April, the AIFF invited Minerva Punjab FC to play the friendly today at the Trinity Football Ground, Benolim in Goa.
Jackson Singh the man who led Minerva Punjab FC to victory in the recently concluded U-16 Youth League was given the armband while Komal Thatal was chosen to lead the India u-17s.
The game started on quite an impressive note for the visiting Minerva Punjab boys who made continues attacks into their oppositions box with some wonderful skills on display ripping apart the Indian defence, as attackers Nongdamba Noarem and Baoringdao Bodo anchored quite well from the midfield as they managed to creat some fantastic moves for Amarjeet Mishra lacked the final touch.
Former India U-15 attacker Amarjeet Mishra managed to keep the National teams backline busy throughout the game as he assisted a class 1-2-1 flick for Bodo who nodded home the lead for the visitors in as early as 20 minutes where the warriors dominated 70% of the posession. The visitors missed quite a few chances as India junior Baoringdao Bodo’s powerful header and a couple of Amarjeet Mishra’s screamers missed the target by inches. The game took an ugly turn in the final minutes of the first half as India’s Mizoram born Midfielder Lalengmawia was cautioned for a harsh tackle. Both teams went into the break with Minerva Punjab FC leading with a 1-0 scoreline.
The second half saw a determined Minerva Punjab FC looking to add to their goal after a powerful half-time talk by their Spainard gaffer Jose Carlos Hevia and Manager cum CEO Ranjit Bajaj in the dressing room. Skipper Jackson Singh took the first attempt at goal in the second half as his powerful shot from distance missed the woodwork by inches. Gaffer Jose Carlos Hevia soon brought in Bedeshwor and Arjun in favour of Henba and Krishna to pump up the attacking force with over half-an-hour remaining for the final whistle but their efforts were in vain as they lacked the final touch. The game ended with the scoreboard remaining unchanged as Minerva Punjab FC emerged victorious at the final whistle, courtesy to India junior and I-League regular Boaringdo Bodo’s strike.
Minerva Punjab FC next face India U-15 National Football Team on March 24 in a friendly match at 8.30pm in the Artificial Turf Ground in Utorda, Goa.
