India beat Portuguese second division side in practice match

The Indian national football team defeated Portuguese second division side Atletico Clube 1-0 in Lisbon in the third friendly on their two-month training tour of the Iberian country.

India hung on to striker Mohammed Rafi's sixth minute goal to eke out a hard-fought victory against the Lisbon-based side on Wednesday night, at the Sporting Clube Academy ground, where they will be based till the end of the month.

Churchill Brothers' striker Rafi made no mistake in slotting the ball home off a pass from his strike partner Abhishek Yadav.

India had beaten Portuguese third division sides Desportivo das Caldas (4-1) and Desportivo Monsanto (6-2) in their first two practice matches, when they were based for a month at Vieria de Leiria, a small town between Lisbon and Porto.

They moved on to the training centre of the Sporting Clube Lisbon Academy on August 1 for another month's training.

The squad will be strengthened by the return of captain Baichung Bhutia, who will be back after treating his thyroid problem in Kolkata, and Sunil Chhetri, who has been released by the Major League Soccer side Kansas City Wizards.