List of India national football team hat-tricks
Since independence in 1947, nine Indian male footballers have scored three or more goals (a hat-trick) in an international football match. No Indian player has ever scored more than three goals in a single game. The first player to score a hat-trick for India was Sahu Mewalal in a 4-0 victory over Burma in the 1952 Colombo Quadrangular Tournament.[1] Sunil Chhetri is the only Indian footballer to have scored a hat-trick more than once; he has achieved this feat as many as three times, the latest of which came in India's 5-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the opening match of the 2018 Intercontinental Cup.[2][3][4] This also happens to be the most recent instance of an Indian player scoring a hat-trick in an international football match.
Arguably, the most famous hat-trick was scored by Neville D'Souza at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the first Asian to do so in the history of Olympics football, in a 4-2 victory over Australia.[5][6][7] With 4 goals in 3 matches, he not only finished the tournament as joint top-scorer but also helped India secure fourth place in the championship.[8][9]
India have conceded thirteen hat-tricks since 1947, the most recent being scored by Ashraf Nu'man Al-Fawaghra in a 4–2 defeat by Palestine in an international friendly match in February 2013.[10][11] Branko Zebec was the first player to score a hat-trick against India, scoring four times for Yugoslavia in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.[12] Two other players, Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait in an international friendly fixture and Ismail Abdullatif of Bahrain in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, have scored four goals against India.[13][14][15] The only instance of India not losing a game even after conceding a hat-trick happened against Yemen in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match which ended in a 3-3 draw.[16]
Hat-tricks for India
- Only FIFA-recognized matches have been considered while compiling the list; unofficial friendly matches have not been included in this list.
Hat-tricks conceded by India
India have conceded thirteen hat-tricks till date.
Notes
a The result is presented with India's score first.
References
- ^ a b Sengupta, Somnath (27 December 2012). "LEGENDS OF INDIAN FOOTBALL : SHEOO MEWALAL". www.thehardtackle.com. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b "FIVE-STAR INDIA EASE PAST CHINESE TAIPEI". AIFF. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Chetri nets hat-trick as India begin with a bang". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 2 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Chhetri helps himself to a triple-strike". The Hindu. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b "MATCH Report". FIFA.com. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b Kapadia, Novy. "Football at the Olympics: Remembering India's day of glory in Melbourne". Sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ Nandakumar Marar (3 September 2000). "Recalling Neville's extraordinary exploits in Olympic football". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
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(help) - ^ "STATISTICS". FIFA.com. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "Final Tournament Standings". FIFA.com. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ a b "India lose lead and match". AIFF. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b "India go down 2-4". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 7 February 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b "MATCH Report". FIFA.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b Banerjee, Debraj. "Kuwait makes a joke of India". Sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Gutsy Indians impress in 2-5 loss". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 15 January 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Abdulatif scores four; India exits". The Hindu. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ a b "YEMEN VS. INDIA 3 - 3". www.soccerway.com. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "The Indian Senior Team at the 1952 Colombo Quadrangular Cup:". www.indianfootball.de. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ a b "A trip down memory lane". AIFF. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Gracias! hattrick for India". The Straits Times. 17 August 1967. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Indians split open myth". The Straits Times. 6 August 1971. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Indons' great rally". The Straits Times. 25 July 1974. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Thais fight back". The Straits Times. 17 August 1976. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Indians tear Tajiks apart". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 14 August 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Chhetri stars as India wins". The Hindu. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "India beat Vietnam". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 9 October 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Sunil Chetri's hat-trick sinks Vietnam". The Hindu. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ "Six-goal Burmese avalanche". The Straits Times. 3 November 1969. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Indon hattrick upsets India". The Straits Times. 8 August 1971. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "SMASHING WINS BY KOREA, JAPAN". The Straits Times. 11 August 1976. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Thais rout India 4-0". The Straits Times. 8 September 1977. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "India's poor run continues". The Indian Express. 10 June 1993. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Gudmundsson's hat-trick leaves India gaping". The Hindu. 14 January 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Yasser hattrick seals it". The Telegraph (Calcutta). 17 August 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Al Qahtani's hat-trick does India in". The Hindu. 17 August 2006. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Zambia beat India". AIFF. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Zambia gives India a hiding". The Hindu. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2018.