Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 29, 2023, 20:02 IST
Igor Stimac and the Indian males’s soccer staff (AIFF)
Sunil Chhetri mentioned it was vital for the Indian males’s soccer staff to get the 2 wins and two cleans sheets en path to successful the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament
Two all-round performances by the Indian males’s soccer staff rounded off a profitable March FIFA International Window for Sunil Chhetri and his males, as they lifted the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament trophy on the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal on Tuesday.
Not solely did India win each their matches in opposition to a never-say-die Myanmar (1-0) and a higher-ranked Kyrgyz Republic (2-0), however in addition they stored two clear sheets. Watched by a capability crowd of virtually 30,000 every on each days, the dominance Igor Stimac’s wards displayed got here as a nice shock for the Indian followers.
India captain Sunil Chhetri mentioned, “It felt good to play these two matches, and it was important for us to get the two wins under our belt. It’s the first time I played in Manipur, so that was an extremely special occasion.
“We also kept two clean sheets, which was very important for our defence,” mentioned Sunil, who struck his eighty fifth purpose in worldwide soccer from a properly taken spot-kick in opposition to the Kyrgyz Republic. His tally would undoubtedly have been larger however for a few shut shaves the Myanmar purpose had within the first outing.
ALSO READ | Sunil Chhetri Scores eighty fifth Goal for India, Becomes Fifth-highest Goalscorer in International Football
Head coach Igor Stimac, regardless of the strain of successful the match, by no means misplaced focus of taking a look at as many gamers as doable, holding the final word problem of the AFC Asian Cup in January, 2024 in thoughts, performed nearly two completely different sides within the two matches, making as many as six modifications to the beginning XI, which additionally consisted of two fully completely different back-lines. Both of India’s first and second selection goalkeepers, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Amrinder Singh stored a clear sheet every, collectively bagging the Best Goalkeeper of the Championship award.
As many as 4 new gamers – Mehtab Singh, Naorem Mahesh, Ritwik Kumar Das, and Rohit Kumar – received their respective debuts within the two matches in opposition to Myanmar and the Kyrgyz Republic on the Khuman Lampak.
Head coach Igor Stimac believes that the outcomes that the boys managed to get in Imphal helped construct a constructive angle inside the staff.
“I am very happy with the team and the boys. They played with a brilliant attitude and the overall environment was also very positive. It’s the result that creates this positivity for us,” he mentioned.
ALSO READ | Indian Football Team Wins On and Off the Pitch in Manipur With Tri-Nation Tournament Triumph
Stimac additionally thanked Manipur for being the gracious hosts of the National Team. “We are grateful to the organisers in Manipur, the Government, the honourable Chief Minister (Shri N Biren Singh), the organisers, and all the fans for providing the atmosphere,” he mentioned.
“This was our fifth consecutive win at home, and that’s very important for us to build confidence,” he mentioned. “We were very stable and disciplined and did not allow Myanmar or Kyrgyz Republic any greater opportunities apart from a couple of minutes in the second half, where we were a bit soft. We could have done better in those areas, but the boys are always improving.”
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