India Faces Heavy Defeat in First Football Match on New Zealand Soil
India suffers a 0-5 loss to New Zealand in their first friendly match held in Auckland, with a rematch scheduled in Christchurch.
Auckland, November 12 (Daily Kiran) : India’s national football team faced a challenging start in their first friendly match on New Zealand soil, suffering a 0-5 defeat against the host nation. The match took place on November 12 at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland. This encounter marks the beginning of the November international window for both teams, with a rematch set for Sunday in Christchurch.
The scoring opened in the fifth minute when Indian defender Bijoy Varghese accidentally directed the ball into his own net, giving New Zealand an early lead. Jesse Randall then added two goals to the tally, while Chris Wood and Lachlan Belles each scored, securing a decisive victory for New Zealand.
Indian goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, returning to the national team for the first time since June, made several impressive saves to prevent an even larger defeat. However, he received limited support from his teammates.
The early goal came amid chaos in India’s penalty area, where Varghese’s mishap allowed New Zealand to take control. Gradually, India found their rhythm, creating a promising opportunity in the 19th minute. Ryan Williams combined well with Varghese on the right flank, setting up Manveer Singh, but Calen Elliott intervened just in time to block the shot.
Kaith’s heroics kept India in the match, as he thwarted two attempts from Randall around the half-hour mark. Nevertheless, Randall found the net twice more in the 34th and 43rd minutes, helping New Zealand establish a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime.
During the break, India’s head coach Khalid Jamil made five substitutions, bringing on Jay Gupta, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Mehtab Singh, Ricky Miteai Haobam, and Mohammad Suhail, the latter two making their international debuts.
Despite the changes, New Zealand maintained their dominance. Chris Wood scored the fourth goal with a header in the 57th minute, followed by Belles, who netted the fifth with a volley in the 74th minute. Kaith continued to shine, making another outstanding save in the 78th minute by denying Bill Tuiloma’s penalty shot and quickly recovering to block the rebound.
Later in the match, Jamil provided David Lalhalansanga and Tomba Singh Haobam with their international debuts. In the 88th minute, Tomba attempted a long-range goal, but goalkeeper Alex Paulsen easily handled the shot.
RSG
