It was an evening of firsts. In four years, Igor Stimac had not won a trophy at home. The Croat head coach was getting to know the players in the only one he had played in 2019. On an evening lit up by flares – blue when Sandesh Jhingan struck and streaks of yellow when Sunil Chhetri did – India changed that with a 2-0 win against Kyrgyz Republic to win the Tri-nation International Football Tournament in Imphal on Tuesday. Without conceding a goal.
Stimac’s second trophy after the 2021 SAFF Championships also came on an evening when India, who are 106, beat a team ranked higher (Kyrgyz Republic are 94th in the FIFA rankings) for the first time on his watch. When India last won against the higher-ranked Puerto Rico in 2016, international football was not even an idea for Manipur despite a regular stream of internationals (there were seven in this squad of 23 and Udanta Singh in the stands). It was also the first time since the 2018 Hero Inter-Continental Cup that India won a tournament at home.
Not since May 28, 2022 had Pritam Kotal started for India. For six matches since the friendly against Jordan, Stimac had Kotal either on the bench or left him out. But with a consistent show in the Indian Super League, albeit as centre-back, Kotal has regained Stimac’s trust. Alykulov Gulzhigit’s sharp turns troubled him and even fetched a booking but despite cramps, Kotal lasted the full match.
It was also the first time since the Asian Cup qualifier against Cambodia in June and only the third time in 25 games since the 1-2 defeat to Oman in 2019 that attacking midfielders Anirudh Thapa and Brandon Fernandes started together.
Jhingan stabbing home at Tokotaev Erzhan’s near post was his first goal since a June friendly in 2017 against Nepal. The India central defender got to the end of a weighted free kick from Fernandes after beating the challenge of Kozubaev Tamirlan. It was another assist for India’s go-to man for set plays; the sixth in 19 games since Fernandes debuted under Stimac in July 2019.
In the 57 minutes, Fernandes was on the Khuman Lampak Stadium pitch, he hung corner-kicks at the far post and once tested Erzhan with a free kick. There was also an important defensive play to ensure Shukurov Alimardon’s shot didn’t trouble Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who made two good saves early in the second half. But unlike attacking midfielders Anirudh Thapa and Lallianzuala Chhangte, Fernandes didn’t offer enough from open play.
His replacement Naorem Mahesh Singh did. A season that began in anonymity ended with the wide midfielder getting an India call, almost scoring on Tuesday and then winning the penalty by forcing Davydov Nikolai to bundle him.
As chants of “Chhetri, Chhetri” went around the full house, the captain executed his one-step routine to perfection. His 85th goal for India came in an international window that also had Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the two active players ahead of Chhetri, scoring.
