India open their third round of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers away to Myanmar today evening in what promises to be a scintillating affair. The Blue Tigers are looking to register a place in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in eight years after failing to make it through the last time.
Placed in Group A of the competition alongside Kyrgyzstan and Macau, both the teams very well know the importance of this game.
The Blue Tigers have been on the rise for a year or so and have won 10 of their last 12 games and all of their last five. Their improved performance has reflected in the rankings as well, as they now see themselves perched at 132th spot in the FIFA rankings and should go even higher when they are released the next time, owing to their recent win against Cambodia. That win, in fact, was their first away win at the international stage for over a decade.
Whilst Indian coach Stephen Constantine have placed Myanmar as the favourites going into the game, the visitors are head and shoulder above the hosts when it comes to recent form and FIFA rankings.
As we prepare for kick-off at Yangon, we look at some of the numbers you should know before the game.
1 – A solitary goal has been the deciding factor the last two times these two teams have met. A solitary goal from Sunil Chhetri in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup helped them eventually qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup where they eventually beat Tajikistan 4-1 in the final. However, the Indians were not so lucky when they went up against the White Angels in the qualification stage for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup when a 75th-minute winner from Soe Min Oo ended India’s hopes of qualifying for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
2 – After giving debuts to Anas Edathodika and Milan Singh in the last game, only two uncapped players remain in the Indian squad. The two left-backs Nishu Kumar and Jerry Lanrinzuala remain the only two players yet to play for the Blue Tigers in the current squad.
4 – India have won only four of the 17 meetings against Myanmar whilst losing 10 games. Three have ended in the two teams sharing their spoils.
5 – India’s rankings is set for another rise even if they come out of this encounter with a loss. The win against Cambodia has given them a real boost in terms of ranking points and that should be good enough to help them climb the ladder further by about five places.
6 – If India win today against Myanmar, it will be their sixth win in a row. They have won five on the trot before, but that’s as good as it has got for the Indian team. They are on the verge of creating history.
8 – India were dealt one of the biggest drubbings in their history by Myanmar when they were defeated 9-1 by the White Angels in 1971, an eight-goal defeat that many claim the beginning of India’s downfall in the game in the latter part of the 20th century.
9 – Jeje Lalpekhlua has scored nine goals in his last nine appearances for the national team. And the Indian fans would hope that he continues in the same vein. His introduction in the second half of the game against Cambodia changed the game for India after being thoroughly outplayed in the first forty-five.
10 – India are on a five-game winning streak and have won 10 of their last 12 games. Their only two losses during this period came against Iran and Turkmenistan in the last two games of their disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign.
25 – India can move nearly 25 places up if they win against Myanmar. Whilst the final ranking will depend upon the results of other teams, expect India to be in the 105-110 bracket in terms of the FIFA rankings if they eke out a win in their game. This might see them overtake the likes of Lithuania, New Zealand, Jordana and Iraq (winners of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup) This would be their highest ranking since 1999.
40 – Myanmar’s fortunes on the football pitch has mirrored the political tension in the country. After being one of the dominant forces in the ASEAN region, the White Angels have dropped down to a lowly 172 in the FIFA rankings. They were ranked as high as 130 in 2013.
52 – Sunil Chhetri continues to be the most important man on the pitch for Stephen Constantine, and the Indian forward will look to add to his record tally for the national team. It is imperative that the English manager finds a way to get the Bengaluru forward involved at the middle of the park. India have struggled whenever he has played anywhere else. Constantine had to drag him down from playing on top in their win against Puerto Rico and from the left in their game against Cambodia to gain a foothold in the respective games. Both times India had started the game in poor fashion.
64 – It’s been 64 years since Indian beat Myanmar on their home soil. That win came in 1953 in the Colombo Cup at a time when India were deemed good enough to play in the World Cup. India were the eventual winners of the tournament with Pakistan finishing runners-up. Myanmar were placed third.
Follow the live commentary of the India vs Myanmar game here: India vs Myanmar, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, Live Score and Commentary
