India Clinches Historic 4-3 Victory Over Estonia in Turkish Women’s Cup 2024 Football Opener
Dara Singh Chahal
Pune, 21 Feb 2024: In a thrilling opening match of the Turkish Women’s Cup 2024 football tournament, the Indian women’s football team secured a historic 4-3 victory against Estonia at the Gold City Sports Complex in Alanya, Turkey, on Wednesday.
This triumph marks a significant milestone for the Indian women’s football team, as it stands as their first-ever victory against a team from the UEFA confederation in an official match. Prior to this memorable win, India faced Belarus, Ukraine, and Romania, suffering defeats in all three encounters.
The Indian squad, led by new coach Langam Chaoba Devi, faced a challenging start as Estonia, ranked 98th in the FIFA rankings, exerted early pressure. However, after weathering the initial storm, India gradually gained momentum and asserted control over the game.
Manisha Kalyan emerged as a standout performer, scoring a brace for India with goals in the 17th and 81st minutes, while Indumathi Kathiresan (62’) and Pyari Xaxa (79’) contributed one goal each to India’s tally.
Despite India’s dominance for large stretches of the match, Estonia managed to find the back of the net through Lisette Tammik (32’), Vlada Kubassova (88’), and M Lillemae (90’).
The victory was built on a resilient display by the Indian team, characterized by Manisha’s dynamic runs down the left wing and Pyari Xaxa’s presence in attack.
Following a closely contested first half that ended 1-1, India displayed a greater attacking intent in the second half. Indumathi Kathiresan’s clinical finish and subsequent goals by Pyari and Manisha extended India’s lead to 4-1 by the 85th minute.
However, Estonia mounted a late comeback, scoring two quick goals to set up a tense finale. Despite the late scare, India’s defense held firm to secure the historic victory.
With momentum on their side, the Indian women’s football team looks ahead to their upcoming match against Hong Kong China in the Turkish Women’s Cup 2024 on Saturday, aiming to build on their impressive start to the tournament.
