After a three-year hiatus, Indian midfielder Farukh Choudhary made a triumphant return to international football, scoring a crucial goal to secure a 1-1 draw for India in an international friendly against Vietnam.
Choudhary’s selection by head coach Manolo Márquez raised eyebrows due to his extended absence from the national team, but the 26-year-old quickly proved his worth by leveling the score in the second half.
Vietnam took an early lead in the 38th minute through Vi Hao Bui, putting pressure on the Indian side to respond. Choudhary delivered with a well-timed goal, marking his return in style.
“Personally, I feel great. I’ve not been a part of the national team for a long time, but this is where I wanted to be,” Choudhary said after the match. “I worked hard at my clubs and I knew in my heart that I deserved to be here.”
The last time Choudhary played for India was in October 2021, when he assisted the only goal in a 1-0 win against Nepal. However, his journey back to the national team was interrupted by a serious knee injury, forcing him to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process. His determination paid off with a standout performance in this friendly.
Reflecting on the match, Choudhary expressed satisfaction but admitted India could have done more. “I’m glad that I could make a difference for the team, but I feel that we could have scored another,” he said. He also praised his teammates, highlighting the contributions of goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and defender Anwar Ali. “Everyone played well together as a team. Gurpreet and Anwar also had exceptional games in defense, which is why we got this score.”
The match was a tale of two halves. Vietnam dominated the first period, forcing India to defend for much of the opening 45 minutes. However, a tactical shift during the half-time break spurred a more assertive performance from the Indian team in the second half.
Head coach Manolo Márquez acknowledged this transformation: “In the first half, it was practically all Vietnam. Then we discussed at half time how we have enough quality to play, and finally, we started executing our plans.”
While Márquez is still searching for his first win as head coach, he remained upbeat about his side’s performance. “Sure, Vietnam could have scored in the last minutes when we were tired, but we could have scored too with our last chance. But overall, I am satisfied with this. It was a friendly game, after all,” he concluded.
India will take away plenty of positives from the match, especially with Choudhary’s successful return and a solid defensive effort. However, the team will be keen to turn these opportunities into victories as it continues its preparations for future international fixtures.
