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The Indian men's national team didn't have to break a sweat to steer to a 2-0 victory over Mongolia in the Intercontinental Cup 2023 opener at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Friday, June 9.
Building up to the encounter, Igor Stimac named a relatively experienced starting lineup, with Sunil Chhetri leading the attack. The Croatian tactician had also included the out-of-form Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh in the XI.
Sahal almost immediately after kick-off repaid the gaffer for his trust as the Kerala Blasters FC talisman stabbed home the opening goal of the night. In the second minute itself, Anirudh Thapa found himself with acres of space down the right flank and drilled in a low cross into the opposition box. Mongolian keeper Enkhtaivan got a touch on the ball but couldn't hold on to it.
The rebound fell for Sahal, who calmly tucked the ball into the open net past the helpless opposition defenders.
The hosts continued with their attacking onslaught and Mongolia were once again caught out in the 14th minute, this time through a corner situation. Thapa delivered a curling ball into the box to find Sandesh Jhingan's header. Although the center-back's effort was blocked initially, the Blue Wolves couldn't clear their lines. Lallianzuala Chhangte was the quickest to react among a sea of bodies and steered the ball home from a point-blank range.
Three minutes later, India came close to further increasing their lead when Udanta was tripped inside the opposition box by Dulguun Amaraa. Indian players roared in symphony to appeal for a penalty but the referee waived off the shouts. Replays showed there was a clear attempt by the opposition defender to bring down the Indian winger.
With a two-goal lead, Stimac's men comfortably controlled the proceedings throughout most of the first half. Mongolia couldn't create any significant threat and India created plenty through their orchestrator in Sahal Abdul Samad.
Coming out after the half-time break, the Blue Tigers slowed down the tempo of the match in an attempt to maintain the lead. But still, they managed to create some scoring opportunities with slick passes in the final third.
In the 54th minute, Anirudh Thapa tucked the ball into the net but Chhangte, who provided the cross into the box earlier in the move, was flagged offside.
In order to rejuvenate the squad, Stimac opted for multiple fresh legs. First Rohit Kumar and Naorem Mahesh Singh replaced Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh around the hour mark. Later in the game Rahim Ali and Jeakson Singh came on for Sunil Chhetri and Apuia.
Meanwhile, Munkh-Erdene and Gantogtokh came on as substitutes for Mongolia. However, it was India who gained the most from those changes as their attacking intensity went up a notch.
Despite all the pro-activity from the Indian forwards, the hosts had to ultimately settle for the 2-0 scoreline as they lacked the final pass in the dying moments of the game. Goalscorer Lallianzuala Chhangte was awarded the Hero of the Match award.
India will next face Vanuatu on Thursday, June 15, while Mongolia take on Lebanon on the same day.
Lebanon off to a winning start in the Intercontinental Cup against Vanuatu
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Lebanon kicked off their Intercontinental Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Vanuatu at the Kalinga Stadium.
The Cedars started the game strongly while Vanuatu relied on counterattacks and managed to hold off their opponents. Despite ample of chances for the Asian side, the scoreline remained 0-0 at halftime.
In the 59th minute, Lebanon finally broke the deadlock as Nader Matar found the back of the net after an excellent cross from Hassan Maatouk. However, Vanuatu quickly equalized in the 62nd minute through John Wohale.
But Lebanon continued to dominate possession and regained the lead in the 72nd minute when Hassan Kourani headed in a cross from Maatouk.
Finally, the Cedars sealed their victory in the 85th minute when Karim Darwich converted a penalty kick after being fouled inside the box.
