India on a Collision Course at SAFF Championship After Coach Stimac is Red-Carded

India were on the brink of disaster during their Group A SAFF Championship match against Pakistan, held at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru. Coach Igor Stimac was sent off after receiving a red card late in the first half for knocking the ball from the hands of a Pakistani player who was attempting to make a quick throw-in after a disputed decision. India were leading by two goals at this point.

The incident occurred when defenders Pritam Kotal and Abdullah Iqbal were contesting for possession of the ball and confusion arose over who should take the throw-in. Iqbal grabbed the ball and was attempting to release it quickly in order to carry on with play. Stimac, seemingly trying to stop the throw-in, knocked the ball away from Iqbal’s hands.

The referee immediately brandished a red card which sent Stimac off and India were forced to finish the match with 10 men. Pakistan took advantage of their numerical superiority as the second half went on and managed to score two goals, getting themselves back into contention for a point or more. However, this was not enough though as India held on for a 2-2 draw at full time – much to the relief of Indian fans in attendance.

This is just the latest example of an incident causing controversy during this year’s SAFF Championship. The competition has been marred by a series of heated exchanges between coaches and players, as well as poor officiating from referees.

The draw means that India remain top of Group A on four points alongside Pakistan, with both countries in the running to reach the semi-finals. It will be interesting to see if they can produce a more disciplined performance in their next match or whether another explosive incident will occur.