Hangzhou, (UNI) The Indian women’s football team kicked off its Asian Games 2023 campaign with a 1-2 loss against the Chinese Taipei here on Thursday.
Anju Tamang (47’) opened the scoring for India but goals from Li-Chin Lai (69‘) and Yu-Hsuan Su (84’) secured all three points for Chinese Taipei and took them to the top of the Group B standings.
The Thomas Dennerby-managed Indian team, playing its first match since March, got off the blocks quickly as Manisha Kalyan almost created a goal-scoring opportunity for the returning Bala Devi in the first minute.
Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Ping Chen, meanwhile, failed to convert an opportunity to open the scoring in the seventh minute. Indian goalkeeper Shreya Hooda came off her line just in time to put the striker off.
However, it was India’s Manisha Kalyan who created the highlight moment of the opening period, hitting the crossbar in the 36th minute. Despite creating several chances, neither team was able to get on the scoresheet in the first half.
Though world No. 38 Chinese Taipei enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession, India, 61st in the FIFA rankings, defended with purpose and created their fair share of chances, courtesy Anju Tamang and Manisha Kalyan’s pacy runs down the flanks.
The Indian women’s football team struck immediately after the restart and took the lead, Olympics.com reported.
Anju Tamang found Manisha Kalyan in the Chinese Taipei penalty box after an enterprising run. Kalyan returned the favour with an inviting cross, which the 27-year-old Tamang latched onto to secure a 1-0 lead for India. It was Anju Tamang’s 13th senior international goal in 49 matches.
The goal prompted a response from the Chinese Taipei side, who looked to up the ante in search of an equaliser. Li-Chin Lai came close with a crisp free kick from the edge of the box.
Shortly after, Yu-Hsuan Su struck the side netting after a threatening Chinese Taipei counterattack. The Indian attacking trio of Tamang, Kalyan and Jyoti, meanwhile, kept pushing forward for a decisive second goal.
A clever free kick routine, finished off by the 35-year-old midfielder Li-Chin Lai, however, got Chinese Taipei back on level terms.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Chinese Taipei raised the offensive intensity. Hsin Hui Lin came close to giving them the lead but for Shreya Hooda’s commendable save at the near post.
However, the match-winning moment came in the 84th minute for Chinese Taipei after Yu-Hsuan Su capitalised on a defensive error to roll it into an empty Indian goal.
Though India pressed on for an equaliser in the final exchanges, Chinese Taipei held fort to complete a comeback win.
The Indian women’s football team will be next in action against Thailand on Sunday at the Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium.
The five group winners will advance to the Asian Games 2023 women’s football quarter-finals. The three best runners-up from Groups A, B, D and E will take the remaining quarters spots.
