Picture Credit: X/Indian Football
The date December 1, 2023, marks 67 years to the day when India scripted one of the biggest moments in their footballing history. The Indian men’s football team managed to defeat Australia 4-2 in the quarter-finals of the Melbourne Olympics 1956, a matchup which saw Neville D’Souza become the first Asian hat-trick scorer in the quadrennial games.
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After getting a walkover in the first round from Hungary, the runners-up in the FIFA World Cup 1954, due to the political upheaval in the country, India had to face Australia in one of the highly anticipated football matches at the Melbourne Olympics 1956. Australia reached the quarter-finals on the back of a comprehensive 2-0 win against Japan in the first round.
In front of 7413 fans at the Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne, Neville D’Souza opened the scoring for India off a rebound in the ninth minute, but Australia responded with an equaliser through a header from Bruce Morrow in the 17th minute.
Watch the video of the epic moments of India's win against Australia in men's football:
India took the lead in the 33rd minute when Neville D’Souza pounced on the mistake of Australian goal-keeper Ron Lord to put the ball in the back of the net. Bruce Morrow got the second goal of the day for Australia before the end of the first half to make it 2-2.
The second half of the Melbourne Olympics 1956 men’s football quarter-final between India and Australia firmly belonged to the visitors with Neville D’Souza completing his hat-trick early in the piece. In the 80th minute, J. Krishnaswamy lobbed the goal-keeper Ron Lord to help his team attain a 4-2 lead, which the Indian goal-keeper Peter Thangraj managed to keep till the end of the contest.
