Tempers flare as India make final

Arnab Mondal scored his maiden international goal as defending champions India beat Maldives 1-0 to enter the final of the SAFF Football Championship for the ninth time. The win meant that India made it to their fifth successive final and will meet Afghanistan in the final on Wednesday.

The winner came in the 85th minute when Mehtab Hossains corner from the right flank was neatly headed down by Syed Rahim Nabi and Mondal,who had joined the attack,struck a powerful angular right-footer that crashed into the net. The final whistle saw some ugly scenes as Maldives substitute Ali Umar attacked referee Idham Mohammed and was red-carded after the match. But it did not stop there as a group of Maldives players attacked one of the organisers and police personnel were called to intervene as things looked like getting out of hand.

It was a goalless first half but India played with some intent unlike their horrible show against Nepal.