India defeated Myanmar 1-0 in the opening game of the tri-nation international football competition on Wednesday in Imphal, Manipur, thanks to a sensational goal from Anirudh Thapa.
After the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022–2023 concluded and ATK Mohun Bagan was crowned champion, the Indian football community turned its attention to the Hero Tri-Nation Series 2023. The competition, which also marks the Indian football team’s first international tournament in 2023, has three participating nations.
The Tri-Nation Series boasts friendly competition, but the stakes and level of excitement are fairly high. With India serving as the host nation, all matches of the Hero Tri-Nation Series 2023 will be held in Imphal, Manipur, at Khuman Lampak Stadium. The series has already begun with a thrilling encounter between Team India and Myanmar.
India beat Myanmar to kick off their Tri-Nation campaign
India came out to excite the home crowd with some wonderful attacking football in their first home game in more than eight months. The Indian football team’s most recent international competition was in September 2022, when they competed in friendlies in Vietnam against Singapore and Vietnam. The Blue Tigers’ second game saw them lose to Vietnam 3-0 after drawing 1-1 with Singapore in the first.
Indian wingers Bipin Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte looked lively from the start, as they made repeated inroads into the opposition’s defense. Thapa crossed the ball, and Sunil Chhetri headed it over the crossbar for an early opportunity. The India captain was given another opportunity via a flag kick at the far post, but the outcome remained the same.
During the first-half injury time, Thapa seized onto a loose rebound inside the box and hammered it past the keeper from close range, giving the Blue Tigers their much-needed breakthrough. Igor Stimac, the head coach of India, made the decision to substitute Suresh Wangjam for Mohammad Yasir in the second half in order to give the Imphal audience more to cheer about. Soon after, in place of Bipin Singh and Chhangte, two local boys Mahesh Singh and Manvir Singh made their stage debuts.
Chhetri, the captain, continued to be the most passionate Indian player on the field. The linesman flagged off his absolutely valid header in the 74th minute after the referee had waved off his pleas for a penalty in the first half. He continued to shoot and jump up to meet headers despite his disappointment, but it wasn’t his day. It was also not Myanmar’s day to score an equalizer, as seen by their inability to guide the ball in from inside the box in the 90th minute.
The crucial goal by Anirudh Thapa also ensured that Stimac’s team enjoyed a four-game home winning streak, the longest under the Croatian coach. The Indian coach had to field a team without numerous regulars in order to give them some rest after the prolonged Indian Super League.
This novelty was evident in front of the 30,000 spectators at Imphal’s Khuman Lampak stadium, where India’s determination to take charge and dominate the field impresses every fan. Sunil Chhetri and the Men in Blue will face off against the Kyrgyz Republic at the same venue on March 28. Here is India’s national football squad for the Tri-Nation International Football series:
Indian squad:
- Goalkeepers: Phurba Lachenpa Tempa, Amrinder Singh, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
- Defenders: Akash Mishra, Chinglensana Konsham, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Roshan Singh, Anwar Ali, Pritam Kotal, and Mehtab Singh
- Midfielders: Suresh Wangjam, Rohit Kumar, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Yasir Mohammad, Ritwik Das, and Jeakson Singh.