Football
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India lose 3-2 to UAE in AFC U-16 Championship opener

India conceded two second-half goals to lose 3-2 against United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a thrilling opening game in the AFC U-16 championship in Margao on Thursday.

Sanjeev Stalin and Boris Singh scored for India in the first half while Manea Aydh scored for UAE, as the hosts went into the break with a 2-1 lead after a dominant display. However, India were left to rue a plethora of missed opportunities, as Majid Rashid and Ahmad Fawzi scored a goal each to complete UAE's comeback in the second half.

India made the brighter start in the match, which was played in rain almost throughout the 90 minutes. In the fourth minute, Komal Thatal, after being put through the UAE defence, pulled away from goalkeeper Salem Al Hareth, but then found the shooting angle too acute. His shot just fizzed across the face of goal, before the UAE defenders cleared it to safety.

India could have scored their first five minutes later, as winger Aniket Jadhav - who regularly alternated positions with Boris Singh - cut into the penalty box from the right and whipped a low cross in, which took a deflection off a defender, before falling fortuitously into the gloves of Al Hareth.

In the 10th minute, a long ball crossed from the midfield found Boris inside the UAE box, but his header went straight to Al Hareth. A minute later, India won a free kick when an attempted cross from the left was handled by a defender. Sanjeev Stalin then opened India's account in the tournament with a well-curled free-kick into the corner of Al Hareth's net.

Al Hareth kept UAE in the match with a double save in the 25th minute, first from a header from Aman Chetri, and then a snapshot from Komal off the rebound.

UAE were given their first opening in the 34th minute, when goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh upended an onrushing Abed Alazez Dawood, for which the Indian also received a yellow card. Dheeraj then pulled off a comfortable save off the penalty taken by captain Majid Rashid, diving low to his left to deflect the ball wide. The resultant corner was headed into goal by Manea Aydh.

Off the restart, Sanjeev floated a hopeful ball towards Aniket, who did well to bring the ball under control, rush past Aydh and cut the ball back in towards an unmarked Boris, who made no mistake in placing the ball into the top corner. India almost increased their lead two minutes before the half-time whistle, as Komal found himself in a great position inside the rival box, but his right-footer went inches wide.

UAE began the second half well, and it was their captain who took advantage of a loose ball after India failed to deal with Mohmed Ali Khamis inside their box to slot home the equaliser. Five minutes later, India won another free-kick in a good position, and this time Sanjeev's effort was palmed away by Al Hareth. The rebound was nearly converted by Chetri, but the striker's header went well over the crossbar.

In the 62nd minute, Aniket's industrious run from the left wound up with the ball at the feet of Chetri, and with space to take his time. Chetri chose to go for a first-timer, and his shot went wide of the target.

The first substitution of the match came in the 74th minute, as Ahmad Fawzi stepped in for Abdulla Alnaqbi, and it proved to be an inspired change. Fawzi's first touch was off a through pass from Dawood, and he did well to keep his composure in placing the ball past Dheeraj to give UAE the lead for the first time in the game.

India then rung in the changes, with Ninothoinganba and Lalengmawia introduced with the hope of injecting some pace, and the former's cross in the last minute of regulation time saw Chetri and Komal get in the way of each other in attempting to latch on to the ball. Eventually Chetri's shot went well wide of the target.

UAE clung on to the 3-2 lead to collect three points, and they are now level on points with Iran, who had earlier come back from being 2-0 down to defeat Saudi Arabia 3-2. India's next match is against Saudi Arabia on September 8, with kick-off scheduled for 7 pm. The team which loses that game will be virtually knocked out of contention for a place in the quarterfinals.

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