2012 Nehru Cup: India beat Cameroon on penalties, win third title in a row!

India are again champions of the 2012 Nehru Cup following a 7-6 penalty shootout victory against Cameroon at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. It is India's third title in a row after 2007 and 2009, the perfect start for Wim Koevermans as India's new coach.

India made a spirited start into the final game against an opponent who is over hundred places ahead of them. As in earlier matches Cameroon had more of the possession, but India gave them little space.

India took a surprise lead in the 19th minute through a Gouramangi Singh header off a Clifford Miranda free-kick following a foul on Sunil Chhetri. It took some time for play to resume as Cameroon keeper Ngome Ngowe Lawrence injured his arm on trying to deny Mangi the goal, but after a few minutes of treatment he was substituted for Hosea Nkessi.

But the young Cameroon team were not shocked by conceding the goal and equalised in the 29th minute through a placed volley by T. Nioga to silence the loud Indian crowd. Thereafter it was mainly midfield action for both sides and it stayed one-all at the break.

The coaches made no changes for the second session and the pattern stayed with India continuing to stay deep and allowing Cameroon more of the possession. In the 53rd minute India had another free-kick which was well taken by Clifford Miranda, headed on by Syed Rahim Nabi but Gouramangi Singh was between two Cameroon defenders and his header easily cleared. Only a minute later at the other end Cameroon earned a corner and Kingue Mpondo once more scored for the Lions with a header.

Now India were under pressure to get back into the match and Wim Koevermans changed from his preferred 4-4-1-1 formation to a 4-4-2 bringing on Robin Singh for Sanju Pradhan. It gave India new trust and in the 78th minute Sunil Chhetri was brought down in the Cameroon box by substitute goalkeeper Hosea Nkessi with referee Vladislav Tseytlin showing to the dreaded spot. Chhetri himself took the penalty and scored by sending the keeper in the wrong direction. Towards the end India had one last good chance when Chhetri headed a ball over, while Cameroon had some shots towards goal but they all sailed over by quite a bit. After 90 intense minutes it was two-all amongst the two sides.

The first session of extra-time was mostly Cameroon, but the Africans continued with domination but rare chances on goal. India on the stroke of half-time could have scored, but a free Robin Singh headed over the goal off a Clifford Miranda cross from the left.

Cameroon were even more dominating in the second session of extra-time, but their lack of finishing continued to haunt them as the match ended two-all and now would head into penalties.

In the end it was left to penalties in which all of India's five taker Robin Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Denzil Franco, Mehtab Hossain and Clifford Miranda scored, while Tambe Ashu, Ouamaïla Baba, Paul Roland Bebey Kingue and Kingue Mpondo scored for Cameroon; but their last penalty-taker in Thierry Makon Nioga hit the right post for India to win the title.


MATCH STATS

Cameroon 2-2,4-5 India [penalties] - Goals: 0-1 Gouramangi Singh (19'), 1-1 Thierry Makon Nioga (29'), 2-1 Kingue Mpondo (54'), 2-2 Sunil Chhetri (79' penalty)

Cameroon
16-Ngome Ngowe Lawrence (27' 22-Hosea Nkessi) - 2-Joseph Julien Momasso, 4-Moundi Djengue Gustave, 7-Tambe Ashu, 8-Alix Ebanga Bertin (80' 11-Ouamaïla Baba), 12-Paul Roland Bebey Kingue [C], 13-Thierry Makon Nioga, 14-Abouna Ndzana, 15-Stephane Meyoupo, 17-Kingue Mpondo, 19-Vigny Merimee Kolony (59' 9-Charles Eloundou)
Substitute: 3-Achilles Ebongué Pydi, 5-R. Ntolla, 6-Nembot Talla, 10-Samuel Bitte, 18-Souleymanou Mandjombe, 20-W. Mbogning

India
1-Subrata Pal - 4-Nirmal Chetri (90+4' 2-Denzil Franco), 3-Raju Gaikwad, 19-Gouramangi Moirangthem Singh, 22-Syed Rahim Nabi - 8-Sanju Pradhan (63' 24-Robin Singh), 20-Mehtab Hussain, 6-Lenny Rodrigues, 15-Clifford Miranda - 26-Francis Fernandes - 11-Sunil Chhetri [C]
Substitute: 16-Karanjit Singh, 25-Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, 5-Gurwinder Singh, 12-Alwyn George, 14-Anthony Pereira, 23-Manandeep Singh, 28-Jewel Raja Sheikh

Referee
Vladislav Tseytlin (Uzbekistan)