 "India fall 0-2 to Thailand in international friendly despite promising first half")
PATHUM THANI, THAILAND: The Indian men’s national football team lost 0-2 against a clinical Thailand side in a FIFA International Friendly at the Thammasat Stadium, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
In a thrilling match, India showed flashes of brilliance and grit, only to be undone by moments of precision from their opponents. Goals from Benjamin Davis (8’) in the first half and Poramet Arjvilai (59’) in the second were enough to seal the win for the War Elephants, while India, though spirited and creative at times, were left ruing missed opportunities and costly defensive lapses.
Placed 99th in the FIFA World Rankings, Thailand started the brighter of the two sides and made their early dominance count. In just the eighth minute, Phitiwat Sookjitthammakul found Korawich Tasa near the edge of the Indian box. Tasa smartly laid it off for Ben Davis, who took a deft first touch to steady himself before unleashing a thunderous right-footed shot past India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. It was Davis’ fourth goal in seven appearances for Thailand, and the Indian backline was left exposed, reacting too late to close him down.
However, for the Blue Tigers, who are ranked 127th globally, the early setback did not crush their resolve. India gradually grew into the game, using the width of the pitch to stretch the Thailand defence. Liston Colaco, operating fluently between midfield and the left flank, was a standout performer, linking up well with Sunil Chhetri and forward Ashique Kuruniyan.
India’s first opportunity to level the score in the first half came in the 24th minute. Colaco delivered a teasing free-kick from the left which Chhetri met with a clever header, timing his run perfectly to get ahead of his marker. However, Thailand goalkeeper Saranon Anuin dived to his left to pull off a sharp save.
Thailand continued to pose a threat, with long-range efforts from Korawich and Poramet narrowly missing the target. Yet India remained composed. In the 33rd minute, Colaco once again created danger, wriggling past defenders and cutting the ball back for Kuruniyan, who, despite being well-positioned, scuffed his attempt.
The momentum began to shift slightly in India’s favour as the half wore on. Abhishek came close with a driven shot from distance that missed by inches in the 40th minute. But the golden opportunity arrived in first-half stoppage time. Chhetri played a sublime through ball from midfield to find Colaco’s run, splitting the Thai defence. Colaco brought the ball under control but couldn’t finish the one-on-one chance as Saranon made himself bigger and narrowed the angle to eventually thwart the danger with a save.
India resumed the second half with renewed intent, and Colaco tested the Thailand keeper once again with a curling free-kick from just outside the area. However, their failure to capitalise on chances proved costly.
In the 59th minute, a misplaced pass in midfield gifted Thailand possession. The ball was quickly fed to Poramet on the left flank. Spotting Vishal Kaith slightly off his line, Poramet curled a magnificent effort into the top-right corner to double Thailand’s lead and deflate Indian hopes.
Substitute Lallianzuala Chhangte attempted a dazzling solo effort, but could not breach the Thailand defence. The Changsuek, meanwhile, looked to exploit the spaces India left behind and could have added a third if not for a crucial intervention by Anwar Ali, who threw himself in front of a goal-bound shot in the dying moments.
Though the scoreboard read 2-0 in the hosts’ favour, the Indian team showed moments of promise. The performance, particularly in the first half, will give head coach Manolo Márquez and his team confidence ahead of their crucial AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round fixture against Hong Kong on June 10. However, sharper finishing and fewer lapses in concentration will be key if India are to convert potential into results.
India: Vishal Kaith (GK), Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan (C), Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh (Lallianzuala Chhangte 67’), Sunil Chhetri (Brandon Fernandes 76’), Ayush Chhetri (Nikhil Prabhu 67’), Lalengmawia Ralte (Suresh Singh Wangjam 46’), Ashique Kuruniyan (Suhail Ahmad Bhat 81’), Asish Rai (Boris Singh 81’), Tekcham Abhishek Singh.
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