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| AFC Challenge Cup |
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| India end Portugal tour with win |
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| India coach Bob Houghton is not looking beyond the first game of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. |
GOUVEIA: India’s preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 received a further boost when they thrashed Gouveia XI 4-0 in the third and final match of their 12-day exposure-cum-training tour of Portugal on Sunday.
Abhishek Yadav gave the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 hosts the lead in the first half while Sushil Kumar Singh scored a brace. Tarif Ahmed maintained his record of scoring in all games on the tour with a second half strike.
Striker Sunil Chhetri, who has attracted interest from Second Division side Estoril Praia, was at formidable best in the match. He set up Yadav for the opener and struck the post with a powerful volley in the first half.
Gouveia started strongly in the second half but could not make their possession count.
Bob Houghton's charges were drawn in Group A along side defending champions Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in the AFC Challenge Cup and will begin their campaign against Afghanistan on July 30. The eight-nation event will be played in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad from July 30 to August 10.
The South Asians were placed in Group C for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup final round qualifiers along with Uzbekistan, UAE and Malaysia.
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