Following their disappointing preliminary round exit in their World Cup qualifying campaign, India will look to bounce back in style when they take on Laos in a two-legged play-off qualifier for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Vientiane, Laos on Thursday.
India were left to feature in this playoff match after they finished at the bottom of their group during the preliminary round of the joint qualification campaign of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup, managing to win just three points from eight matches in their group.
They desperately need to begin the home and away play-off tie well if they want to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to even qualify to play in the qualifiers of the Asian Cup.
We take a look at five players worth watching in the fixture.
#1 Jeje Lalpekhlua (India)
Jeje Lalpekhlua has had a stellar year in front of goal for Mohun Bagan as well as the ISL franchise Chennaiyin FC. He netted a total of 25 goals this season, leading Chennaiyin FC to their maiden ISL trophy with 6 goals to his name and helped the Mariners win their 14th Federation Cup trophy, emerging as their top scorers with a tally of 8 goals, equalling Chhetri's record from a few years earlier.
The Mizoram native had also played a crucial role in India clinching the SAFF Championships in January, and was subsequently named the Indian Player of the Year. The forward will look to capitalize on a defence which had leaked 29 goals in their preliminary qualification round for the 2018 World Cup, and give India a comfortable lead in the first leg of the tie itself.
#2 Khampheng Sayavutthi (Laos)
The 29-year-old striker is set to be handed his 50th national cap and is also on the verge of surpassing the national team top-scorer Visay Phaphouvanin. Sayavutthi is already a fan favourite and has enjoyed stints with a number of Thai clubs.
The forward has been arguably in his best form for hometown club Lanexang FC this year, scoring an audacious bicycle kick in Laos’ first ever game at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup against Turkmenistan. He is Laos’ most lethal weapon, and India will have to contain him somehow to emerge on top.
#3 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (India)
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu recently became the first Indian to make a league start in a top flight European division match, when he made his debut for the Norwegian side Stabaek FC, keeping a clean sheet in a 5-0 win. The shot-stopper will start in goal having already collected nine caps for the national side.
Sandhu has been the number one goalkeeper in the Indian team since Stephen Constantine took over last year, with the English coach preferring him to veteran Subrata Paul. The 6 feet-4 inch keeper has shown what he is capable of in his previous performances for India, and will prove very difficult to beat in front of the goal.
#4 Sunil Chettri (India)
Sunil Chettri has been the face of the Indian team for quite some time now. The Indian skipper finished top scorer for Bengaluru FC for a third season running, leading the team to their second I-League title. Chettri also had an impressive run with Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League, scoring 7 goals from 11 appearances.
The 31-year-old veteran striker, who is the all-time top goalscorer for India with 50 goals to his name, has some idea of Laos football while playing for Bengaluru FC against Laos Toyota FC in the AFC Cup said they were a good side and would prove tough to beat. Constantine will most likely start the trio of Chettri, Jeje and Udanta Singh up front, and will depend upon his captain to link up with the other two forwards to salvage a victory for the team.
Failure to win against a side who has won only two of their last 18 games, one of which was due to forfeit, will be a huge disappointment for Constantine’s men. India, who currently sit 14 places above Laos in the FIFA rankings in the 162nd position, will be keen to take a firm grip on the AFC Asian Cup spot at stake going into the second leg of the tie to be held on June 7th in Guwahati, but will have to be on the top of their game as Laos will try to take full advantage of their home crowd.
#5 Maitee Sihalad (Laos)
Maitee Sihalad is regarded as Laos’ most promising young talent. The 17-year-old has already earned a few caps for the national team and has impressed with his pace and skills this season. He is a versatile attacking player who can operate either in wide areas, as a central playmaker or even as a striker. India needs to be wary of the threat posed by this winger who has an impeccable work rate and acute dribbling skills.
