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India’s evening changed for the worse in a thunderous spell of 8 minutes as visitors Oman overturned a 1-goal deficit to win 2-1 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup Qualifiers at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Thursday evening. Sunil Chhetri’s superb strike in the 24th minute went in vain as Oman’s Al-Mandhar struck twice late in the second half to snatch three vital points for the away side.
While India were exciting in the attacking half of the play, the lapse of concentration in crucial parts of the game led to India's downfall. Given that this was the first game in the qualifiers, all is not lost and India would certainly take some positives out of the match when they go to play Qatar in their next. On that note here are the hits and flops from the game.
#5 Sunil Chhetri (Hit)
Sunil Chhetri led the team from the front. Not only did he score the opening goal of the match from a brilliant left footer, he also helped out the midfielders by dropping deep into the field. After numerous efforts to score in the opening half, India were rewarded in the 24th minute.
A planned set-piece movement did the trick for the ‘Blue Tigers.’
With India being awarded a free-kick close to the sidelines, playmaker Brandon Fernandes produced a lateral pass. Sprinting out of the crowd from the far post, Chhetri rocketed the ball into the net, scoring his 72nd goal in national colours. He was active till the final whistle and marshalled his troops like a true leader.
#4 Subhashish Bose (Flop)
Subhashish Bose had a silent evening in India's first qualification match against Oman. Known for his pace and the speedy runs down the left channel, Subhasish failed to contribute for the 'Blue Tigers' in Guwahati. It was one of his worst performances for the national team.
The former Mohun Bagan player started in his regular position. Although the Indian defenders did not have much to do in the first half, Subhasish was inactive in the second half as well when India were under pressure from a flurry of attacks created by the Omani team. Bose needs to pull up his socks before the match against Qatar.
#3 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Hit)
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was in his top form against Oman on Thursday night. Gurpreet was tested for the first time in the 9th minute and made several sharp saves throughout the night to keep India in the game.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Ahmed Kano’s head from point-blank range was fisted by Gurpreet with his right hand. The rebound fell for Kano, but his second attempt was a yard off-target.
#2 Rahul Bheke (Flop)
Rahul Bheke had a bad day on the pitch. He hardly overlapped, which is his forte. Apart from that, he was largely inactive in the match. Incidentally, he was directly involved in two of the goals India conceded. In the first occasion, he was unable to close down the angle of Al-Mandhar, allowing him to shoot, which eventually rolled into the back of the net.
With seconds away from the 90-minute mark, Rahul Bheke lost possession in the side-lines. It eventually found Al-Mandhar’s feet, who shot from quite a distance to secure a win for his team. After the disappointing loss, coach Igor Stimac has just four days to regroup ahead of their next fixture against Qatar.
#1 Aashique Kuruniyan (Hit)
The young footballer was the livewire for the Indian team all through the match. He showed aggression from the starting whistle. Ashique Kuruniyan's fiery runs down the left flank were too hot to handle for the Omani defenders. Kuruniyan’s deliveries often created danger once it sailed into the striking zone. He often sailed past the defenders with his skills, the visitors found it difficult to cope up with him.
The Bengaluru FC player tricked a defender inside the box in the 64th minute, before he could move further, he was brought down illegally. The referee was not inclined to give a spot-kick. He was often ahead of his players with the ball with acres of space in front of him. Aashique had to wait for his compatriots to meet the pass, such was his pace. It needs to be noted that the footballer is back from a long injury. He will play a vital role in the rest of the qualifiers for India.
