India ends campaign with three losses

Eric Ayiah scored twice, in the 43rd and 52nd minutes respectively to guide the two-time champion to a comfortable win over the host. Goals from Danso and Toku helped the African nation in displaying a comprehensive performance. 

Mali secured its spot in the Round of 16 after an assured 3-1 victory over New Zealand. 

With this, Mali finished second behind Group B winners Paraguay, while New Zealand miss out on the knockout stages after claiming one point from its three group matches. The Eaglets dominated proceedings at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, hitting the woodwork on two occasions during the contest, and deservedly took the lead through Salam Jiddou’s excellent strike on 18 minutes. 

Djemoussa Traore played the ball back into the path of the midfielder, whose first-time finish found the top corner of the New Zealand goal. Traore was a constant threat, and five minutes after the break, he doubled the African side’s lead. 

New Zealand substitute Charles Spragg headed home an Elijah cross to halve the deficit on the 72nd minute. However, any hopes that the Oceania side had of a comeback ended ten minutes later, as Lassana N’Diaye scored his third goal of the tournament. 

Paraguay made it three wins out of three in the opening stage of its Indian adventure, beating Turkey 3-1 in Mumbai. A classy quick-fire double from Giovanni Bogado and Fernando Cardozo at the end of the first half left Turkey with it all to do after the break, and its task became near-impossible after Antonio Galeano added a third just after the hour mark.