India score big win against Nepal in SAFF U-17 Women's Championship

India scored an emphatic 4-1 victory over Nepal in the opening match of the SAFF U-17 Women's Championships on Monday.

India launched their first full-blooded attack within the opening 40 seconds, and scored the first goal in the 10th minute through Shilji Shaji.

They could have been 3-0 up by the 20th minute but for two goals being ruled offside. Shaji caught the Nepal goalkeeper Khushi napping with a simple perfectly-executed shot into the the far corner of the goal.

Just when it looked Nepal would escape the half without conceding more goals, India hit them with a double blow. First, Shilji scored in the 40th minute, her second goal, which was a carbon copy of the first, and barely a minute later, Pooja made it 3-0. Shilji, this time, was the provider for the winger to tap the ball in.

Barsha Oli scored off a well-taken volley in the 54th minute to reduce the deficit for Nepal, but rarely did India look like losing the plot.

Shilji rounded off a brilliant performance with a well-taken third, robbing the Nepal midfield from a throw-in and then running through on her own to finish the job.