AIFF Media Team

India U-16 6 (Sridarth 4’, 5’, 33’, 53’, Shubho Paul 12’, 30’)

beat 

Fenerbahce 3 (Arda Chakirli 14’, Dogukan Tarlaek 37’, Utku Buyukkose 52’) 

NEW DELHI: The India U-16 National Team extended its winning streak to 11 matches after they defeated Turkish giants Fenerbahce 6-3 in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, September 11, 2019.

Striker Sridarth was on song against Fenerbahce, netting four goals, three of which came in the first half itself. Winger Shubho Paul scored the other two, to make it a six-goal win for India.

Sridarth was on song early on, as he scored on the fourth minute of the match. Yoihenba Meetei attempted a through ball, but it was miscued. However, the Fenerbahce keeper failed to collect the ball, as Sridarth got on to it and opened the scoring.

The young striker struck again a minute later, when he was played through by Sibajit, giving India a two-goal lead by the fifth minute.

Just before the quarter hour mark, Shubho cut in from the left flank and unleashed a shot that curled past the keeper and into the goal, to make it three.

Arda Chakirli pulled one back ahead of the quarter-hour mark, but 15 minutes later, Shubho scored a second time, to restore the three-goal lead; Yoihenba was again, the provider.

Sridarth completed his hat-trick a few minutes later, when Maheson played him through, before the former scored again. Dogukan Tarlaek executed a perfect volley to make it 5-2 in favour of the Indians, as the two teams headed down the tunnel after a rather frantic first half.

The Turks came out with some vigour in the second, and Utku Buyukkose found some space in the Indian box, and pulled the trigger to bring the deficit back to two goals. However, Sridarth struck his fourth of the night off a Maheson cross from the right flank, to settle the score at 6-3.

Fenerbahce did have a chance to reduce the deficit when centreback Anish Mazumder was adjudged to have fouled an opposition player in the box, as the referee pointed to the spot. However, India keeper Aman Kumar Sahani pulled off a brilliant save from a spot-kick by Yunus Emre Kantar, before Singson finally cleared the ball.

With this win, the India U-16 boys stretch their winning streak to 11 matches, as they now head to the AFC U1-6 Championship Qualifiers, which is set to be held in Uzbekistan, later this month.

India XI: Aman Sahani; Pritam, Singson, Anish, Amandeep; Sibajit, Yoihenba (C), Maheson; Shubho Paul, Sridarth, Taison