India defeated the higher-ranked Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 with spectacular
football, winning the Hero Tri-National International Tournament
Trophy in the process.
In the dramatic final of the 2023 Tri-Nation Football Tournament, contested at
the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal, India overcame the higher-
ranked Kyrgyz Republic by a score of 2-0. The stadium was packed with around
29,000 ardent football fans who came to witness India’s incredible triumph over
a team that was ranked higher than them in the international rankings. Six
changes were made by Indian coach Stimac from the lineup that faced Myanmar,
although they did not affect their flow at all.
India vs Kyrgyz Republic – Match Summary
The contest was intense right away as both sides displayed remarkable talent
and commitment. Jhingan scored India’s opening goal in the initial half after
midfielder Brandon Fernandes delivered the ball from a free kick in front of the
opposition goal. The Kyrgyz Republic made a brave attempt to draw the game,
but India’s tenacious defense held them off.
In the second half, Kyrgyz Republic played with more intensity, forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to make two outstanding stops early on. Most of the attacking moves came from left winger Gulzhigit Alykulov, who gave Indian defender Kotal a lot of trouble. Nevertheless, the defender was adequately supported by Chhangte, and despite receiving a yellow card, the ATK Mohun Bagan defender was capable of halting the threat. However, India’s open play was poor, which forced Brandon to be replaced in the 57th minute by Naorem Mahesh.
India kept on attacking whenever they had the chance, and one of their raids in the 84th minute caused the Kyrgyz Republic defence to buckle under the strain when Naorem Mahesh Singh was hauled down by Davydov Nikolai in the penalty area. The young player won the penalty, which Chhetri converted to score his 85th goal for his country and secure a 2-0 victory.
Sunil becomes Fifth-highest Goalscorer in International Football
With the strike, Sunil Chhetri passed Ferenc Puskas of Hungary to take over fifth place in football history’s all-time goal scorers. Only Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal are ahead of Chhetri in terms of the active footballers with the most goals.
Chhetri has scored the most goals in international football against Nepal and the Maldives—eight goals in six matches against the Maldives and the same number of goals in 12 matches against Nepal. Against Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei, the Indian captain scored six goals. The striker, who is 37 years old, scored five goals against Tajikistan and Cambodia.
Chhetri only participated in two games against Kenya, but he still managed to score four goals. Yet he needed seven games against Afghanistan to score four goals. It was his fourth hit on the Kyrgyz Republic on Tuesday. Ronaldo recently scored a goal for his nation that extended his record to 120, making him the first man to score 100 goals in competitive international matches.
India appears Asia Cup ready
The defense’s stability, the clean sheet, and India’s resilience in the face of difficulties were the standout aspects of India’s successful performance. Even though it was only a friendly competition, Stimac now appears to have a strong basis to build with as they prepare for the Asian Cup early in the following year.
India and Stimac also achieved some noteworthy accomplishments with the triumph. India had not defeated a higher-ranked opponent since defeating Puerto Rico in Mumbai in September of 2016. After the 2018 Intercontinental Cup, India had not won a tournament at home. This victory was Stimac’s first triumph at home as well.