FULL-TIME, INDIA 2-4 TAJIKISTAN: 56, 59, 71, 75 - Four goals in twenty minutes for Tajikistan. Plenty to ponder for Stimac, Chhetri and Co. Next match for India is against DPR Korea. Join us for that next Saturday.
FULL TIME, INDIA 2-4 TAJIKISTAN: What a stunning turnaround by the visitors. India have been blown away by a second half blitz. A two-goal lead at the half-time thanks to two goals from Chhetri but Tajikistan were just too good in the 2nd half. A tough start to the tournament for Igor Stimac’s side. The makeshift defence will be asked plenty of questions.
After 90 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: Into three minutes of stoppage time. Yellow card for Farukh.
After 88 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: WHAT A SAVE! Jerry with a goal-saving block that any goalkeeper will be proud of. TJK are ripping India apart down the left flank... with Gurpreet beaten, Jerry puts his body on the line and clears a certain goal. India’s blushes saved. What a clearance. Meanwhile, Joby Justin comes on for Chhetri.
After 86 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: A stunning turn of pace down the left wing by TJK, but Bheke just about kicks the ball away. 10th corner (TENTH!) for TJK but it comes to nothing. The match has slipped away from India by the looks of it.
After 82 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: Yellow card for Adil Khan. Thapa comes off for India to be replaced by Farukh.
After 81 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: CHANCE, ROWLIN! Oh, so nearly an instant impact. Good turn of pace down the left by Jerry and his cross is only half clear. Chhetri does well to set up Rowlin who’s shot is a little tame and straight at the keeper.
After 78 mins, IND 2-4 TJK: Rowlin comes on for Sahal, who impressed with his possession play.
After 75 mins, IND 2-4 TJK - GOAL, TJK! WHAT A TURNAROUND! The visitors have stunned the Blue Tigers. A superb dinked ball down the right from Ehsoni and the subsititute Shahrom, who had just replaced Rahimov (scorer of the 3rd goal), finishes it calmly. More finger-pointing, hand-wringing across the back-line... India have been so poor at the back in the 2nd half!
After 72 mins, IND 2-3 TJK - GOAL, RAHIMOV! POOR FROM INDIA! So many mistakes at the back... where do you begin. The center backs don’t deal with a long ball, Adil is so slow to recover his position, Gurpreet then lets the ball go between his feet. The goalkeeper must take most of the blame there, that was not a shot worthy of a goal. But Rahimov doesn’t care! TJK have turned it around brilliantly!
After 70 mins, IND 2-2 TJK: Half a chance for Chhetri from the corner as he leaps highest at the near post from the outswinging corner. His header is more of a glance than an attempt at goal... no one back at the far post to make anything out of it.
After 69 mins, IND 2-2 TJK: It’s more end to end now as India find their footing after TJK’s dominance. Sahal, Thapa and Udanta all involved in two moves going forward... the second one ends with Sahal hitting the ball wide. India are pouring down the right. Udanta wins a corner now.
After 64 mins, IND 2-2 TJK: Mandar Rao Desai has been promptly withdrawn. Replaced by Jerry. TJK have their 8th corner and India are firmly under pressure. Gurpreet catches it well this time. TJK make a change as well.
After 58 mins, IND 2-2 TJK - GOALLLL, BOBOEV! WHAT A START TO THE 2nd HALF! TJK have equalised after a superb cross the right flank beats India’s back-line and finds Boboev at the far post. A simple tap in. Mandar Desai has not covered himself in glory for both the TJK goals. 174 seconds between the 2 goals and we are back to square one!
After 55 mins, IND 2-1 TJK: CHANCE, CHHETRI! Oh what a miss. India had the chance to extend the lead immediately. Chhetri is found by a cutback and he just had to find the target! But he shoots over. And slaps the pitch in disgust.
After 55 mins, IND 2-1 TJK: GOALLLLL, TURSUNOV! The pressure pays for the visitors. Tursunov is released through the middle and his diagonal run takes out the Indian CBs. His first shot is saved by Gurpreet but then he places the rebound into the net from the left side. Lovely move.
After 55 mins, IND 2-0 TJK: CHANCE, TJK! Seventh corner of the game for the visitors after some neat interplay from flank to flank... and a shot from distance is deflected behind. From the corner, a glancing header goes just away from the far post. TJK are on the front food.
After 51 mins, IND 2-0 TJK: CHANCE, INDIA AGAIN! Sahal with superb footwork inside the area after Chhetri’s chip pass into the box from the right. But he cannot find a final pass or shot. TJK are all over the place at the moment... there was a chance for them down the right too but the shot was wild.
After 48 mins, IND 2-0 TJK: CHANCE, INDIA! Sahal releases Thapa with a superb through ball down the middle. The young midfielder does well initially to make space for a shot but takes a moment too long to go for a shot or find Udanta who was free down the right. Indecision, and TJK clear.
After 48 mins, IND 2-0 TJK: Commentators inform that there was some argument between the visitors and referee as the players headed into the tunnel. Meanwhile, an end to end start to the second half..
Second half begins, IND 2-0 TJK: Vinit Rai comes in for India as a 2nd half sub in place of young Amarjit Singh.
9.04 pm: An animated Sunil Chhetri gives a pep talk in the huddle as the players come out for the second off.
9.01 pm: India, currently ranked 101 in Fifa charts, had won the first edition of the tournament last year in Mumbai. They have started their title defence with a good first half against No. 120 Tajikistan. Second half coming up in Ahmedabad.
8.54 pm: Half-time thoughts from one of our football correspondents...
HALF-TIME, IND 2-0 TJK: Chhetri has now scored his 70th goal for India... what a player! ICYMI earlier, this is also the ninth consecutive home game where he’s found the back of the net.
HALF TIME, IND 2-0 TJK: Two goals for India, two goals for Sunil Chhetri... the Blue Tigers start and finish the half strongly and take a handy 2-0 lead into the break. Not the best of halves in terms of the quality from both sides but Chhetri’s finishing (from the spot and then from open play) just too good!
After 45 mins, IND 2-0 TJK: One minute added time
After 41 mins, IND 2-0 TJK - GOALLLLL CHHETRI! What a finish. Just when you thought TJK were about to break India down, the captain doubles the home side’s lead. A superb finish. Udanta with some good work down the right but his cross was too heavy but Chhangte retrieve at the left flank and found Chhetri in front of goal. The Indian captain takes a touch and stabs the ball to the right of the keeper. Superb from the No. 11!
After 40 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: LUCKY INDIA! Tell you what, Adil Khan is very lucky not to have been penalised for a foul inside the box in that earlier spell of play. TJK’s player was brought down in the box, referee says Adil won the ball but replays show the Indian defender caught the player first. Another corner for TJK now, their sixth!! (India have won 1).
After 37 mins, IND 1-0 TJK; More confusion at the back for India as Adil just about deals with a chip over the backline from midfield. Gurpreet almost fumbles a simple save but cleans up his error. And then is unhappy with what’s happening in front of him. Another move down the left results in a TJK corner which causes more confusion in the Indian box. Stimac’s man are all over the place at the moment! Gurpreet had come to forward and prevent a shot on goal. That corner was poorly defended by India.
After 32 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: Another silly free kick given away by India, this time Sahal guilty of a foul from behind. A inswinger from the right flank is dealt with initially by Adil but then a clearance hits his teammate, results in a corner which is wasted by TJK. India are pegged in their own half at the moment.
After 28 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: It’s largely a midfield battle at the moment and both teams are giving the ball way at the center of the park. Thapa commits a foul about 30m away from goal. The free kick is easy enough for Gupreet. The Indian GK releases Chhetri down the left but his cutback is poor.
After 25 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: Good closing down at the edge of the TJK penalty area by India and they win the ball back. Good interplay involving Chhetri and Sahal releases Bheke down the right. He fizzes in a cross but It’s a bit behind Chhetri, whose header is not strong enough. Collected by the ‘keeper.
After 22 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: Yellow card for Rahul Bheke. First player to go into the ref’s book... there’s a drizzle in Ahmedabad now and it’s making things slippery for the players perhaps. Bheke was late for a sliding challenge. TJK have definitely improved in the last few minutes, but India stay solid in defence.
After 18 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: BIG CHANCE, TJK! Narender is caught off position at the back by Barotov who is through on goal but his left-foot strike is off target. It was easier to hit the target there. India let off big time.
After 16 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: The visitors’ turn to control possession. Some good interplay down the left but doesnt amount to anything. India guilty of giving the ball away cheaply there but then produce a nice series of one-touch passes in the midfield to keep the ball.
After 13 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: After a brief spell of pressure from the visitors, India are controlling possession now. The corner did not amount to much but India are trying to win the ball high and keep the pressure up. Good start.
After 10 mins, IND 1-0 TJK: Captain, leader, legend for a reason. Sunil Chhetri has now scored in 9 consecutive home matches for Blue Tigers! What a start for India. India now counterattack from a TJK corner and Udanta’s pace is almost too good for the opponents... he can’t release Chhetri at the end though, wins a corner.
8.05 pm: GOOOOOOOALLL! Sunil Chhetri keeps his calm and dinks it over the keeper to give India the lead.
8.00 pm: Penalty for India! Sahal wins the ball deep and releases Mandar who plays a through ball to Chhangte in the box.
7.55 pm: A big test ahead for an inexperienced Indian backline.
7.45 pm: The line ups are out and defender Sandesh Jhinghan misses out. Mandar Rao Dessai and Indian Arrows defender Narender Gahlot are handed their national team debuts by coach Stimac.
7.40 pm: Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Intercontinental Cup. The Blue Tigers are back in action tonight.
Aiming to build on the early signs of promise under coach Igor Stimac that was displayed during King’s Cup campaign last month, the Indian football team begin their Intercontinental Cup opener against Tajikistan on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
The Blue Tigers, who clinched the trophy last year after beating Kenya in the final face, start as favourites against their opponents who are placed 120th in the Fifa Rankings.
While the core of the India squad remains the same from their squad at the King’s Cup, there have been a few notable inclusions. Forwards Mandar Rao Dessai and Joby Justin and Indian Arrows defender Narender Gahlot earned their first call-up while Anas Edathodika, who announced his national team retirement during the Asian Cup earlier, makes a return.
The four-nation tournament, which also features Syria and North Korea, will be a part of preparations for the Indian team for the joint qualification campaign of the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup, beginning in September.
All teams play each other in a round-robin phase, with the top two set to clash in the finals.
The match is live on Star Sports and kicks off at 8 pm IST.