India clinched a 1-0 victory over Myanmar at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, in the opening match of the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament on Wednesday. Given India’s dominance over their rivals for most of the outing, the scoreline would have been bigger, there were numerous chances that were missed, keeping the victory margin at the bare minimum. Anirudh Thapa, the lone goalscorer of the game, was adjudged the player of the match.
A partisan crowd filled up the stands long before the match could start as the Blue Tigers put on a show that delighted the spectators of Imphal, the city organising its first-ever senior men’s international match.
India’s wingers Bipin Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte looked lively from the start, as they looked to make inroads into the opposition third.
Sunil Chhetri had an early look in, as he headed a cross by Thapa over the crossbar. The India captain had another chance from a corner kick at the far post, but the effort produced the same result.
Myanmar did look to use the wings on the counter. However, local boy Jeakson Singh, playing a holding role, stood up to his task, nipping the attacks in the bud.
Chhetri had a golden chance a little over the half-hour mark, when Chhangte played him in, but his shot from point-blank range was straight at the keeper. Minutes later, India keeper Amrinder Singh kept the scores level at the other end, when he put his big gloves in the way of an Aung Thu effort.
The Blue Tigers finally found the breakthrough they were looking for during injury time of the first half as Thapa latched on to a stray rebound inside the box and smashed it past the keeper from close range, as India headed into the dressing room the happier of the two sides.
India head coach Igor Stimac decided to give more reason for the Imphal crowd to cheer, as he brought on Suresh Wangjam instead of Mohammad Yasir in the second half. Soon after, local boy Mahesh Singh got his debut as he and Manvir Singh replaced Bipin Singh and Chhangte.
India thought they had added another goal to their tally with a little over a quarter of an hour of regulation time left when Chhetri poked in a Thapa cross, but he was flagged offside. The India captain had a crack at the rival goal just minutes later, but it was saved by the opposition keeper this time. As the clock wore down, Ritwik Das was given his debut, as Das and Roshan Singh replaced Akash Mishra and Thapa, but there would be no change to the score.
Indian women’s team held by Jordan
The Indian Senior Women’s Team were held to a goalless draw against hosts Jordan in the second of the two friendly matches at the Petra Stadium in Amman on Tuesday. In the first match on Sunday, India suffered a narrow 1-2 defeat.
These matches are being held as part of India’s preparations for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament 2024 Asian Qualifiers Round 1 in the Kyrgyz Republic next month.
India Head Coach Thomas Dennerby was looking to try out all his players, keeping the Kyrgyz Republic campaign in mind. On Tuesday, his starting eleven comprised only five players who started in the previous outing. Even Ashalata Devi did not figure in his scheme of things, though he made five changes during the course of the play.
