The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced plans to address the troubling incidents of crowd violence that occurred during the semi-final match between India and Nepal in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship on October 27, 2024. The match, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, was halted for over 70 minutes due to unrest after India took an initial lead.
In a statement released on Monday, the AIFF acknowledged the serious nature of the events during the semi-final. “The All India Football Federation has taken note of the incidents that transpired during the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024 semi-final. We will write to SAFF regarding these occurrences and will ensure that they address them at the appropriate levels,” the statement read. The AIFF also recalled a similar situation involving the India U19 women’s team during a previous SAFF tournament in Bangladesh last February, emphasizing that such disturbances hinder the development of football in the region.
The AIFF reiterated its commitment to player safety, stating, “For the All India Football Federation, the safety of women players and staff is always of utmost importance. We commend the Senior Women’s National Team players and support staff for displaying remarkable restraint and professionalism under challenging circumstances in Kathmandu. They emerged with their heads held high.”
The match, held at the Dasharath Rangashala, saw multiple interruptions. Nepal’s Rekha Poudel received a second yellow card, resulting in her dismissal and causing the first significant delay. In response to referee Om Choki’s decision, the Nepalese team protested vehemently, inciting an angry crowd that began throwing projectiles onto the pitch. This prompted an assistant referee to leave her position for safety.
After a 12-minute delay, the match resumed, and India took the lead in the 62nd minute with a stunning long-range goal from Sangita Basfore. However, as Indian players celebrated, the game descended into chaos when Nepal scored an apparently valid goal that was disallowed due to the referee’s whistle for a restart. This decision sparked further unrest as fans hurled bottles—some reportedly containing urine—from the stands.
After a prolonged delay of over an hour, the game resumed, with Nepal equalizing shortly after the restart through Sabitra Bhandari. Coach Santosh Kashyap noted the inherent disadvantage for the leading team in such turbulent situations during a post-match press conference, which featured unprofessional remarks about the crowd’s behavior.
Nepal successfully converted all their penalties, defeating India’s substitute goalkeeper, Payal Basude, who had come on just before the end of regular time. Manisha and Karishma Shorvoikar scored for India, while skipper Ashalata Devi and Ranjana Chanu missed their attempts.
This incident marks the second occurrence of crowd violence involving an Indian women’s team in a SAFF competition this year. In February, after winning the under-19 final via a coin toss, crowd unrest in Dhaka forced officials to declare India and Bangladesh joint winners after three hours of uncertainty.
The AIFF’s commitment to addressing these issues highlights the urgent need for improved security and crowd management in future tournaments, ensuring that players can compete in a safe environment.
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