 "India national football team wins on and off the pitch in Manipur")
For Indian football fans, the journey has been a mixed one. Largely its horror and drama; the “sleeping giants" of world football were suspended just last year for undue influence from third parties. But once in a while, you come across some inspirational stuff as well. In this context, the Indian football team’s maiden trip to Manipur has proved to be a welcome bright spot. What started with a memorable debut to the state and a victory against 159th ranked Myanmar, finished with an even bigger moment of euphoria: a 2-0 victory over 94th ranked Kyrgyz Republic and with the Tri-Nation Football Tournament trophy in the kitty. All this while pushing the ambit of football even further in Manipur, a state that has been the cradle of talent for national teams and top-division clubs.
Passing the 🏆 🤩@chetrisunil11 🤝 @Amrinder_1#KGZIND ⚔️ #HeroTriNation 🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/jyh95LbLm8
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 28, 2023
The game Igor Stimac-coached India, 106th in FIFA rankings, needed just a draw to win the round-robin tournament having beaten Myanmar in the first of two games and the White Falcons drawing against the same team. Kyrgyz Republic need a win to lay their hands on the trophy. If wisdom dictated safety, India decided to do the opposite. Despite six changes to the starting XI in the Myanmar game, the Indian side looked well-drilled to take on the challenges posed by the Central Asian side. The central midfield defensive pair of Jeakson Singh and Suresh Wangjam did the dirty work and provided assurance to the centre-back pairing of Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali. Akash Mishra provided the width on the left with Brandon Fernandes switching between the flank and midfield. Pritam Kotal was the right-back who had Lallianzuala Chhangte on the right wing. Sunil Chhetri was the lone striker with Anirudh Thapa playing behind him. After seeing out initial attacks from Kyrgyz Republic, India started building their own. Brandon hit the target with free kicks in the 19th and 34th minutes. He found Jhingan in the box, who has so often been India’s main man on set pieces. Instead of going for a header, Jhigan coolly slotted in past goalkeeper Totkotaev Erzhan with his left foot.
34' GOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!🇮🇳
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 28, 2023
Brandon picks out Jhingan with his free-kick, who squeezes it in!🙌
🇰🇬 0️⃣-1️⃣ 🇮🇳
📺 @starsportsindia & @DisneyPlusHS #KGZIND ⚔️ #HeroTriNation 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/gUvdBTNqbg
Kyrgyz Republic had more purpose to their game in the second half, forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to make two good saves early on. Left winger Gulzhigit Alykulov was the source of most of the attacking moves, causing a lot of problems for Kotal, but the defender was well assisted by Chhangte and despite a yellow card, the ATK Mohun Bagan defender managed to keep the danger at bay. India’s open play however was lackluster and led to Brandon’s substitution in the 57th minute as Naorem Mahesh came on. The local lad won the penalty which Chhetri bundled in to get his 85th international goal and a 2-0 win.
NEVER IN DOUBT 🎯
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 28, 2023
The Khuman Lampak erupts for @chetrisunil11's 85th international goal 🙌
🇰🇬 0️⃣-2️⃣ 🇮🇳
📺 @starsportsindia & @DisneyPlusHS #KGZIND ⚔️ #HeroTriNation 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/0s0onBs5iM
The impressive parts of the successful outing were the solidity at the back, the clean sheet and India’s ability to weather the storm and take their chances. It was just a friendly tournament but with the Asian Cup early next year, Stimac seemingly has a solid foundation to work upon. With the victory, India and Stimac also earned some memorable distinctions. This was India’s first win against a higher-ranked side since beating Puerto Rico in Mumbai in 2016 September. This was India’s first tournament win at home since the 2018 Intercontinental Cup and the first for Stimac at home as well. The glory It will not be inaccurate to state that Chhetri and Co’s performance on the night was propelled by the infectious energy that the football-crazy Manipuris brought to the stadium. Second India game in Manipur and Khuman Lampak stadium was packed to the rafters once again. The stadium was in fact partially full two hours before the game with thousands still in the queue to get inside and take their favourite seats.
Latest pics. Almost full now Khuman Lampak for India vs Kyrgyz Republic 6pm game pic.twitter.com/r7p3TL2wpk
— Ujwal (@UjwalKS) March 28, 2023
Once inside the stadium, the fans were treated to music and cultural performances as Manipur celebrated the moments with the national team in the grandest way possible.
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) March 28, 2023
The noise in the stands was equally boisterous.
What an energy, what a vibe !
— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) March 28, 2023
See how the crowd is cheering for team India.#HeroTriNation #Manipur pic.twitter.com/i8DMVHTjRP
Signing out from the Khuman Lampak Stadium, leaving you with a bit of a Manipuri touch in the 🎥 🥁 🏟️ ✌🏼#IndianFootball #WeAreIndia #inquilabeindianfootball #BlueTigers #BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/XLq9P472PQ
— Blue Pilgrims 🇮🇳 (@BluePilgrims) March 28, 2023
In between, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), players and fans paid tribute to former India player and legend Tulsidas Balaram who passed away last month .
India 🇮🇳 equally mourn and take inspiration from the achievements of late #BlueTigers 🐯 legend Tulsidas Balaram ahead of the kickoff against Kyrgyz Republic at the Khuman Lampak 🙏#KGZIND ⚔️ #HeroTriNation 🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/t90Y0IJrYS
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 28, 2023
Packed stadiums and cheerful crowd during a sporting event is nothing new in India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start in a few days and soon we will have them every evening. But if the same fanfare lacked in Indian football teams or club games, maybe we were looking for love in the wrong places. The three games in Manipur, two of which witnessed a full house, not only brought to the fore the love for football in the northeast state but also highlighted that there are pockets in India where the sport truly belongs, and from where it can prosper. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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