CALCUTTA (India): Defending champions Saudi Arabia recorded an emphatic 4-0 win over India at the AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers on Friday.
Ahmad Al Bassas helped himself to a hat-trick as the Green Falcons lived up to their billing of Asian U-19 champions with four goals in the opening 28 minutes.
The win takes Bandar Khalid Basrayh’s side to the top of Group F with six points and +5 goal difference after two matches, meaning a draw or better against Uzbekistan will be enough to emerge as group winners on Sunday.
In another match of Group F, Uzbekistan beat Afghanistan 2-0.
Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan will now meet on Sunday to decide which team will finish as group winners while Afghanistan and India are now out of the qualification race.
India was hoping of an upset after a competitive performance against Uzbekistan, but they fell behind within two minutes as Mohammed Khalil Marran netted the game’s opening goal.
With the Saudis up and running, the Al Bassas show began, with the 18-year-old netting the first of his goals in the 10th minute, before adding a second just seven minutes later.
