Sunil Chhetri Scores As India Beat Lebanon To Clinch Intercontinental Cup Title
This triumph marks India's second Intercontinental Cup title, with their first victory achieved in the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2018. North Korea claimed the title in 2019.
Captain Sunil Chhetri, true to his nature, stepped up when it mattered most, scoring his 87th international goal as India clinched the Intercontinental Cup title with a resounding 2-0 victory over Lebanon in the final held on Sunday.
Lallianzuala Chhangte, another standout performer in the decisive match, sealed the victory with a well-taken goal, showcasing India's dominance and ensuring a clean sheet for the team.
This triumph marks India's second Intercontinental Cup title, with their first victory achieved in the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2018. North Korea claimed the title in 2019.
In the twilight of his illustrious career, the 38-year-old Chhetri found the back of the net in the 46th minute, breaking the deadlock immediately after the halftime break following a goalless first half.
With the lead on their side and a fervent crowd supporting them at the Kalinga Stadium, India further solidified their position when Lallianzuala Chhangte, the provider of the opening goal, struck in the 66th minute, leaving the fans overjoyed and their opponents, ranked 99th in the world, shell-shocked.
Despite the challenging hot and humid conditions, both teams had their fair share of opportunities in the first half but failed to convert them into goals, resulting in a goalless draw much like their previous inconsequential encounter just two days ago.
Although India had a slight advantage in possession, with nearly 58 percent of the ball, Lebanon managed seven shots at goal compared to India's three, highlighting the home team's struggle to generate ideas in the final third of the field.
However, everything changed after halftime.
First, a charging Chhangte made a brilliant run into the box and cut the ball back for Chhetri, who calmly slotted it past the Lebanese goalkeeper Ali Sabeh from close range to open the scoring.
The goal was the result of an exceptional buildup play, with Nikhil Poojary threading a precise pass to Chhangte, who then set it up for his inspirational captain.
Bolstered by the opening goal, the Indian team continued to press forward and their efforts paid off with a second goal courtesy of Chhangte. After substitute Naorem Mahesh Singh's shot was saved but not held by the Lebanese goalkeeper, Chhangte pounced on the rebound and doubled India's lead.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with his team's performance, India head coach Igor Stimac reprimanded the players during the halftime break.
"We started well in the first 10 minutes, but then we seemed to lose our way. I was furious and had a strong talk with the players at halftime. We showed great improvement in the second half, but there is still a lot of work to be done to prepare ourselves for teams like Australia in the AFC Asian Cup," Stimac commented after the victory.
Earlier in the match, the Blue Tigers displayed a positive approach and actively sought goals, although they failed to convert the few chances that came their way.
In the sixth minute, Ashique Kuruniyan was brought down inside the Lebanese box, leading to immediate appeals for a penalty from the home team. However, the referee dismissed the claims, leaving even Stimac visibly frustrated.
India found themselves in a precarious situation when Lebanon launched a counter-attack, but Ashique committed a tactical foul, receiving a yellow card to prevent the visitors from advancing towards the Indian goal.
Given the demanding weather conditions, both teams were granted cooling breaks during the match.
Meanwhile, with an impressive tally of 87 goals in 137 appearances, Sunil Chhetri remains the third highest active goal-scorer in international football, trailing only Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from Argentina.
(With Inputs From PTI)
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