Football: India lose 0-2 to Thailand in friendly
Kolkata: The hope is that even if they cannot be as clinical as Thailand, India will do better in the front third against Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifying game next week. And will not be overrun in midfield like they were till around the 30-minute mark against Thailand at Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, around 50km from Bangkok, on Wednesday.
Should that happen, this 0-2 defeat in the FIFA International Friendly, India's first since the underwhelming 0-0 draw against Bangladesh, will be the kind of outing that helps shake off rust. For, against a team most of whose players were on club duty till Saturday, rusty India looked.
There was hesitation in the back where, due to injury and suspension, Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali were teaming up for the first time since the 2024 Asian Cup. India were tentative in all areas of the pitch to start with and rare is it that a top-100 team will not punish that.
Benjamin Davies did in the eighth minute. Easily the most skilful player on the pitch, the 24-year-old forward ran in to fire Thailand ahead. Lalengmawia Ralte was down in the penalty box and Thailand could have stopped play. Maybe India thought they would. As it turned out, India failed to clear their lines and, following a neat exchange between Phitiwat Sookjitthammakul and Korawich Tasa which drew out Ali, Davies fired home.
What followed was a spell where India were overrun in the midfield but stayed in the contest through desperate clearances and Thailand not being able to find the target. Once, Davies twisted and turned past Abhishek Singh and Liston Colaco before Ali made the block.
Thailand were expertly drawing India out and activating the wide men till Abhishek became the extra player in midfield. From a Colaco free-kick, Sunil Chhetri had tested Saranon Anuin with a header but it wasn't till the 33rd minute that India could stitch together a move that pulled the seams of Thailand's defence. That was when Lalengmawia Ralte found Colaco who laid it for Ashique Kurnuniyan, who snatched at the shot.
Ashish Rai managed a teasing cross but India should have made it 1-1 before half-time. They had stopped a Thailand move and got Chhetri to find Colaco through on goal with only Anuin to beat. The goalie got big and legged out Colaco's effort.
India began the second half like they had ended the first with Kuruniyan, used a second striker, finding Chhetri, who was visibly upset that his appeal for a penalty was turned down. There were free headers that Jhingan and Ali could not keep on target from corner-kicks (India had eight, Thailand two) and a bender from Lallianzuala Chhangte that, well, didn't bend enough. Suhail Bhatt also broke through once but could not sort out his feet.
Both teams had three shots on target but India had attempted 19, Thailand seven. Poramet Arjvilai made it 2-0 with a superb curler from range after Davies had found him. The move stemmed from a poor pass from Manvir Singh when India were on the attack. He was not the only one guilty of that. India then needed interceptions from Rai and Ali and a reflex save from Vishal Kaith to prevent a rout. 'The biggest lesson from this game is that we need to take our chances,' said skipper Jhingan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- The Hindu
Dressing room seems like a funeral, but we can still qualify: Marquez after Hong Kong defeat
"The dressing room is like a funeral (site)," said Indian football head coach Manolo Marquez as he struggled to explain the 0-1 loss to Hong Kong here even though he remained optimistic about the team's chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. India conceded in the fifth minute of stoppage time on Tuesday, slumping to a second straight goalless outing in Asian Cup qualifiers, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup. '...we are not very happy. We are sad. The dressing room is like a funeral, practically,' Marquez said when a question on the future of the team came up, insisting that it was not the time to dwell on that aspect. '...But I still think that India has possibilities to qualify,' he declared nonetheless in the post-match press conference. Ranked 26 places above their opponents in the FIFA charts, the Indians were undone by poor finishing and lack of composure in key moments. India should have taken the lead in the 35th minute when Ashique Kuruniyan misjudged the delivery and fluffed a golden chance from close range. 'The game is easy to speak. Two teams fighting and that's all. Without too many chances. I think both teams defended both with order and one action. This is football,' he said, trying hard to find the right words to explain the performance. India now have just one point from two matches in Group C. With only the group winners advancing to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, the task ahead would be arduous. '...we are not in a good moment. In terms of scores, it's difficult for us to score. But it's true that the team played with more order than in other games. This is true. But, unfortunately, we couldn't get any points here.' Marquez also lamented his side's inability to settle for a point. 'I repeat again, it's for me a very equal game and unfortunately for us, practically in the last action, we lost at least one point and Hong Kong have three points. I told in the dressing room, obviously we want to win. 'But sometimes the team doesn't know how to draw. And today, if you couldn't win the game before the minute 90-91, at least try to be in a position to avoid the defeat. But I feel that India is still in the fight.' Asked how India can fix their scoring woes, the coach responded with an honest reflection. 'Sometimes you never know. One day, this is not a problem of the national team, it's in clubs also. Sometimes there are four, five, six games that you don't score and suddenly you score three-four goals...' However, he steered clear of criticising individual players but conceded that at times, nerves are getting the better of them. 'I cannot say nothing negative about the players. I think that the effort was there, the attitude was there, the plan of the game was there. In some moments, I feel that we can play better with the ball and be more brave,' he said. 'But this is about the situation that the team is not winning and the players are a little nervous. In some actions that the pass is clear, we are a little nervous,' he admitted. Since taking over from Igor Stimac last year, Marquez has overseen eight matches with only one win — a 3-0 friendly victory over Maldives. India have drawn four and lost three, including both critical Asian Cup qualifiers. The team has scored just five times while conceding nine, failing to find the net in their last three outings.
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
"Like A Funeral...": Manolo Marquez's Dressing Room Revelation After India's Loss To Hong Kong
"The dressing room is like a funeral (site)," said Indian football head coach Manolo Marquez as he struggled to explain the 0-1 loss to Hong Kong even though he remained optimistic about the team's chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. India conceded in the fifth minute of stoppage time on Tuesday, slumping to a second straight goalless outing in Asian Cup qualifiers, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup. "...we are not very happy. We are sad. The dressing room is like a funeral, practically," Marquez said when a question on the future of the team came up, insisting that it was not the time to dwell on that aspect. "...But I still think that India has possibilities to qualify," he declared nonetheless in the post-match press conference. Ranked 26 places above their opponents in the FIFA charts, the Indians were undone by poor finishing and lack of composure in key moments. India should have taken the lead in the 35th minute when Ashique Kuruniyan misjudged the delivery and fluffed a golden chance from close range. "The game is easy to speak. Two teams fighting and that's all. Without too many chances. I think both teams defended both with order and one action. This is football," he said, trying hard to find the right words to explain the performance. India now have just one point from two matches in Group C. With only the group winners advancing to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, the task ahead would be arduous. "...we are not in a good moment. In terms of scores, it's difficult for us to score. But it's true that the team played with more order than in other games. This is true. But, unfortunately, we couldn't get any points here." Marquez also lamented his side's inability to settle for a point. "I repeat again, it's for me a very equal game and unfortunately for us, practically in the last action, we lost at least one point and Hong Kong have three points. I told in the dressing room, obviously we want to win. "But sometimes the team doesn't know how to draw. And today, if you couldn't win the game before the minute 90-91, at least try to be in a position to avoid the defeat. But I feel that India is still in the fight." Asked how India can fix their scoring woes, the coach responded with an honest reflection. "Sometimes you never know. One day, this is not a problem of the national team, it's in clubs also. Sometimes there are four, five, six games that you don't score and suddenly you score three-four goals and you score However, he steered clear of criticising individual players but conceded that at times, nerves are getting the better of them. "I cannot say nothing negative about the players. I think that the effort was there, the attitude was there, the plan of the game was there. In some moments, I feel that we can play better with the ball and be more brave," he said. "But this is about the situation that the team is not winning and the players are a little nervous. In some actions that the pass is clear, we are a little nervous," he admitted. Since taking over from Igor Stimac last year, Marquez has overseen eight matches with only one win -- a 3-0 friendly victory over Maldives. India have drawn four and lost three, including both critical Asian Cup qualifiers. The team has scored just five times while conceding nine, failing to find the net in their last three outings. PTI TAP PM TAP PM PM
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Indian legends slam AIFF after India's disappointing loss vs Hong Kong
India's shocking 0-1 defeat to lower-ranked Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers has triggered an outpouring of criticism from some of the country's most respected football voices. Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia, club officials and veteran coaches have all taken aim at the All India Football Federation (AIFF), accusing it of failing Indian football at multiple levels. As the national team stumbles and its FIFA ranking plummets, calls for sweeping structural reform have intensified. What was once a period of steady continental qualification has now turned into a crisis, with allegations of mismanagement, misplaced priorities and a broken development system surfacing with renewed urgency. Bhaichung Bhutia demands resignation, overhaul of AIFF leadership Bhaichung Bhutia, visibly disheartened by India's regression, said the country's football is in disarray and directly blamed AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey for the downfall. He argued that India, which had started qualifying for the Asian Cup more regularly, now finds itself unable to secure even that. Bhutia said Chaubey's tenure has been riddled with controversies, ranging from administrative instability to corruption allegations, and insisted that his resignation is the first step towards restoring order. He also criticised the decision to appoint Manolo Marquez as national coach without consulting the technical committee, claiming that such processes show how institutional frameworks are being bypassed. Bhutia noted that allowing Marquez to manage both FC Goa and the national team has blurred priorities. Sunil Chhetri's return seen as a symptom, not a solution Bhutia also questioned the decision to coax veteran striker Sunil Chhetri out of retirement for the qualifiers, calling it a move rooted more in desperation than strategy. He stated that despite Chhetri's commitment, nothing has changed in the team's fortunes. Moreover, he took aim at the AIFF's offer of a USD 50,000 match bonus against Hong Kong, saying incentives should be performance-based and linked to qualification, not isolated games. Ex-players and coaches echo frustration Former international Goutam Sarkar echoed Bhutia's concerns, expressing dismay at the lack of progress. He said that India's reliance on Chhetri even today is a stark reminder of the federation's failure to build a pipeline of talent. Legendary coach Subrata Bhattacharya criticised the overdependence on foreign coaches and called for renewed trust in Indian tacticians. According to him, success once came from Indian minds like P.K. Banerjee and Amal Dutta—not foreign imports. Club officials call for introspection Club stakeholders, too, joined the chorus. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur remarked that the Indian football system is plagued by influence-driven decision-making and fragile egos. He acknowledged that even clubs are to blame, pointing to unsustainable wage inflation and a culture of optics over substance. Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal said it was high time to put a functioning system in place. He called the Hong Kong defeat unacceptable and urged the AIFF to deliver accountability and change that the sport desperately needs.
