The Blue Tigers next play Bahrain in their last match on January 14. India and Thailand have three points from two games while UAE top the group with four points.

India hit the post twice in the second-half and also muffed two good chances in the first. Despite an early scare the hosts scored through Alhamsi and Ali Mabkhout and finished off the game. India, who went all out in the first-half, could have won if it weren’t for the missed chances.

The Blue Tigers surprised UAE with their intensity in attack as plenty of chances came their way. Sandesh Jhingan’s free header went wide in the eight minute — the first real chance for India. UAE custodian Khalid Bilal later pulled off a world-class save to deny Ashique Kuruniyan from close range.

As skipper Sunil Chhetri’s header off Anirudh Thapa’s cross went straight to Bilal in the 23rd minute — it was the end of India’s attacking jaunt. The home team made India pay for their misses as Alhamsi took advantage of a miscommunication in the visitor’s defence and chipped home from a tight angle in the 40th minute.

India had another good scoring chance (after UAE’s defenders fluffed a routine clearance) but Chhetri could only shoot inches wide from a tight angle. The first-half finished 1-0 in UAE’s favor.

Come the second-half and substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua’s long-ranged chip in the 53rd minute was another missed effort for India. Udanta Singh also went close when his shot rattled the bar in the 55th minute. UAE also had their moments as skipper Alhammadi’s shot rattled the post in the 73rd minute. They did have the last laugh when Ali Mabkhout found the back of the net in the 88th minute.

Late in injury time, Jhingan’s header bounced back off the post as India did try to come back but it was in vain.

INDIA: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Pritam Kotal, Anas Edathodika, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose; Udanta Singh (79’ – Jackichand Singh), Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa (70’ – Rowllin Borges), Halicharan Narzary (45’ – Jeje Lalpekhlua), Ashique Kuruniyan, Sunil Chhetri (C).

– AIFF MEDIA

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“We know all the three games are going to be very tough. There’ll be no easy game at this level. But we’ll go toe-to-toe with them. A game is not played on paper, but on the pitch. UAE are the hosts and will be under pressure. It’s understandable they will go for all three points,” said Constantine.

UAE (ranked 79th in the FIFA rankings) has won eight of 13 games against India. The Blue Tigers on the other hand have won thrice against the Gulf nation.

The two teams last played at the Ambedkar Stadium (New Delhi) in 2o11. The game had ended in a 2-2 draw with Jeje Lalpekhlua scoring for India.

“Jeje is a very good player. But unfortunately, he did not have much game time recently. You put Jeje in the position and he will score for you. I was so happy that he scored the goal against Thailand. He deserves to get the goal, especially at this level,” said Constantine about Lalpekhlua.

When asked about UAE’s style of play he said: “They are a physical, as well as a skillful side. I am not worried about our fitness. We have to play our best game to get the result.”

Sunil Chhetri, who surpassed Lionel Messi as the highest international goal scorer among active players, also earned plaudits from the coach.

“Sunil has always given everything whenever he has played for the National Team. I can’t complain about this. He is there to do his job and his job is to score goals. He has a phenomenal scoring record and we’re better with him in the team,” said Constantine.

“Against Thailand, we gave the ball away too many times which put the opposition in an advantageous position. We have to look after the ball better. I feel we started a bit nervous. Some young boys were too eager to press. We can’t repeat it against UAE,” he added.

Constantine played Ashique Kuruniyan up front alongside Chhetri in the game against Thailand…and the move paid off!

When asked as to whether an encore can happen against UAE the coach simply said: “You have to wait and see.”

India play UAE at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on Thursday (January 10). The game will be telecast live on Star Sports 2, 3. It will also be streamed live on Hotstar at 9.30 pm (IST). 

AIFF MEDIA

Also Read: AFC ASIAN CUP: It is an honor to play for India: Chettri

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“I recalled my playing days seeing these young chaps – Ashique Kuruniyan and Anirudh Thapa play. Ashique has terrific energy and speed while Thapa’s finishing was too good,” said the yesteryear hero.

“The coach has done a great work bringing so many young players in the National Team. They are capable of running at the same speed and playing with same intensity for 90 minutes. It will help us going forward. Moreover, the team has experienced players like Chhetri and Sandesh who can guide these boys on the pitch,” he added.

Thapa (Chairman, AIFF Technical Committee) was elated while describing the four goals. The win against Thailand became India’s biggest victory in the history of the tournament (it surpassed the 3-1 win against Hong Kong in 1964).

“All the goals were brilliant. The composure showed by Sunil before the penalty was terrific. The second goal was a terrific example of the team game. Udanta’s pass was perfectly finished by Chhetri. Truly masterclass,” said an emotional Thapa.

On Anirudh Thapa: “The baccha (Thapa) showed the right attitude and chipped it in. The future is bright and he is on the right path.” He labeled Anirudh as a ‘special player’ with a ‘bright future’.

“The toe-poke by Jeje was something extraordinary too. What I found so positive was that not a single goal came by fluke. The game plan was executed well,” he added.

The ex-striker feels India’s midfielders will have a ‘tough task’ in the next game against hosts UAE.

“The midfielders have a tough task against UAE. They need to be on their toes all throughout. The team which will control the midfield will win the match. They need to go deep to lay a hand in the defence as well as coordinate with the forwards up front,” signed off Thapa.

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A day after he surpassed Lionel Messi in the list for most goals scored by an active player in the international football arena he spoke at a length about the win against Thailand in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the team, his fitness mantra, his debut and much more…

EXCERPTS:

Ever thought you would come this far (since the debut against Pakistan in 2005)?
SC: Never. Not even in my wildest fantasies, I thought that this would happen to me. Playing for my country the very first time was so enjoyable, memorable and nothing less than a great honor. But, I never thought that I would go on to play so many games and score goals for India.

The secret behind your goal-scoring run…
SC: There is no secret behind these results. I am blessed to have played the game with the best of the teammates — both for all my clubs and country. Both in Bengaluru FC and India, everyone helps me out. They support me and that is very important. I just try to continue doing the best for the team and the result follows.

Fitness…
SC: There is absolutely no secret. You have to just work hard and make sure you train well. Most importantly you need to eat and sleep well. The fact that I love playing football, and playing for my country drives me to push further. I think I am undergoing the phase when I’m the fastest, fittest in my life. I don’t think age is a barrier for me.

How did the team celebrate the win against Thailand?
SC: We did nothing to enjoy.  It’s just about sticking to the routine. We had the recovery sessions, and now the gym. It’s not done yet and nothing has been achieved so far. It was a decent win but just one win, no more or no less.

The plan for the future…
SC: We have to focus for the match against hosts UAE. It will be a very difficult game. If you ask me — without taking anything from Thailand, the least difficult one among the three matches was against Thailand.

The most difficult game will be against UAE and lest we forget, Bahrain will be equally tough for us. We are concentrating on the next one now and we need to give a good account of ourselves.

On Ashique stepping up for Jeje…
SC: Pretty good, I must say. It was a new position for him as he generally does not play as a striker. But he worked really hard. Jeje is the talisman for us. He is probably one of the main reasons why we have reached the Asian Cup finals. So it was quite a task for him to fill in Jeje’s shoes.

The overall performance against Thailand…
SC: It was a top-notch performance by everyone. Right from Gurpreet, Subhasish, Anas, Sandesh, Pritam — everyone was so good. At times, the whole team dig deep to defend, but these four guys have been really solid at the back

So, what’s next? Personal achievements?
SC: I don’t think anything about personal achievements at the moment. It’s all about the team and we need to focus on keeping a clean sheet against UAE.

On beating Messi’s record…
SC: No record for me now. After 10 years, probably, when we’ll sit with a drink in our hand will talk about records. (laughs).

AIFF MEDIA

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