India may have remained winless in 2024 so far, but the Blue Tigers showed promise in their third game under the tutelage of Manolo Marquez.
The Thien Truong Stadium in Vietnam witnessed a tightly contested encounter between Vietnam and India, with Farukh Choudhary marking his return to the national team after three years with a memorable equaliser. The match also saw two Indian debutants, Lalrinliana Hnamte and Akash Sangwan. Though the two didn’t get much time to showcase their abilities, Farukh stole the limelight with his tenacity and hunger for goal.
Vietnam settled into the game early, troubling India’s defenders with their quick transitions in the attacking third, leaving the backline exposed several times. Vietnam dominated possession and ball retention, while India struggled initially. However, Marquez, though slow to gauge his opponents, adjusted his tactics well in the second half.
In the eighth minute, Farukh, earning his first India cap in three years, attempted a long-range shot after dribbling past his marker, but the Vietnamese goalkeeper was well-positioned to make a comfortable save. Three minutes later, Vietnam captain Quế Ngọc Hải missed a golden opportunity to put his team ahead when Gurpreet Singh Sandhu dived in the right direction to deny his penalty, awarded after Rahul Bheke committed a foul inside the box.
Farukh was in action again, taking a second attempt from a tight angle near the post after Brandon Fernandes sent a well-timed pass to him behind the backline. However, Farukh was once again denied by Vietnamese shot-stopper Nguyễn Filip.
In the 32nd minute, Vietnam’s relentless pressure almost paid off when Châu Ngọc Quang’s curling effort from outside the box narrowly missed the target, following another quick attacking transition. The breakthrough finally came in the 38th minute, when Quế Ngọc Hải headed down a lofted cross from the left flank, setting up Bùi Vi Hào inside the box. Vi Hào’s volley was partially saved by Gurpreet but it seemed to roll past his palm. The goal was ultimately awarded to Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, who got the final touch, pushing the ball over the line.
India came out in the second half with more aggression and, within seven minutes, found the equaliser through Farukh, who had been searching for opportunities from the start. He made a forward run into the box and latched onto a long ball from Anwar Ali, lofting it over the Vietnamese goalkeeper after beating his marker.
Farukh nearly scored a second when Lallianzuala Chhangte clipped a lofted pass towards him, but despite a full stretch, Farukh couldn’t reach the ball, which would have left him with only the goalkeeper to beat.
India continued to create a flurry of attacks, but Nguyễn Quang Hải nearly dashed their hopes in the 74th minute with a shot from outside the box that missed by inches. Quang Hải came close again, meeting a Nguyễn Văn Quyết square pass inside the box with a powerful shot, but Gurpreet made a superb reflex save to keep the score level.
Vietnam pushed hard for a winner, and in the 82nd minute, Anwar stood tall with an acrobatic goal-line clearance to deny the hosts. Despite Vietnam’s late flurry of attacks, the Blue Tigers held firm, thwarting all efforts and securing a hard-earned draw.