The Indian national team kickstarted their journey in the Asian Cup qualifiers with a 2-0 win over Cambodia at the Salt Lake Stadium as captain and legend Sunil Chhetri was once again on target for the Blue Tigers. It was a crucial game as India had to start the campaign on a positive note as they aim to qualify for the quadrennial tournament.
India went ahead in the 14th minute when Liston Colaco was brought down in the penalty area by a Cambodian defender. Although contact was controversial as the replay showed that the defender got the ball first. But the benefit of the doubt went India’s way as Chhetri dispatched the spotkick with a thunderous effort giving the Cambodian custodian no chance.
Chhetri returned one again in the second half as he completed the brace at the 60th minute mark. A fantastic curling ball from Brandon found the veteran in the far pot, unmarked as he headed the ball in to double the lead for India.
Chhetri who was the star of the show yet again for India, expressed his feeling at the post match press conference. “Yes, it feels good. We kept a clean-sheet. There are a lot of things that we could’ve done better and I’m not trying to be harsh. It wasn’t easy and it was very humid. But, of course, it was the same for both the teams,” Chhetri stated.
“The tempo of the game couldn’t be maintained for a long time. I’m not trying to give any excuse, but at the end of the day we kept a clean-sheet and got three points, which is very very important. I’m sure the coach will have a lot to say after watching our videos. But, all in all, starting off on a good note feels good,” the Indian captain added.
Speaking about the chances that India wasted, Chhetri shared how they should have scored more goals. He shares how they were not able to utilize the chances that came their way. However he was happy with the win at the end of the day. “We should have. I’m not trying to be harsh. In international football, you don’t get opportunities where you can get in your players and into spaces where you can cross and do some damage. I think we couldn’t utilize as much as we should have. But, maybe I’m just being a bit old and throwing tantrums. At the end of the day, we’re very happy that we got the three points,” the 37-year-old explained.
India will next face Afghanistan in the second match of the Asian Cup qualifiers on 11th of June at the same venue. The Afghans have started off with a 2-1 defeat against Hong Kong and will play a decisive game against the hosts, a couple of days later in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
