Sunil Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte secured India’s second Hero Intercontinental Cup trophy with a thrilling 2-0 victory over Lebanon at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. This win was particularly significant as it cemented India’s position in Asia’s Pot 2 of the World Cup Qualifying draw, and was also India’s first victory over Lebanon since 1977.
The first half of the match was goalless, but Chhetri broke the deadlock just one minute into the second half with a clinical finish from the edge of the six-yard box. The goal was set up by Chhangte, who initiated the build-up from the right flank and played a return pass with Nikhil Poojary. Chhangte then set the ball up nicely for Chhetri inside the box, and the Indian captain made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
With a 1-0 lead, Igor Stimac, the India coach, made two changes to strengthen India’s attack. The move paid off as India doubled their lead in the 65th minute when Mahesh Naorem’s attempt deflected off Lebanon’s goalkeeper and fell to Chhangte, who capitalised on the golden opportunity to make it 2-0.
Lebanon had a chance to score in the 22nd minute when Hassan Maatouk had a sharp opportunity to break the deadlock, but he shot wide. Maatouk had another chance to reduce the deficit in the 81st minute when he received an accurate cross from Mahdi Zein on the left flank, but he once again failed to take advantage.
Happiness Unfiltered 💙#BlueTigers 🐯 #INDLBN ⚔️ #HeroIntercontinentalCup 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/BekAabYDUj
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 18, 2023
Throughout the tournament, India has shown great improvement under Stimac. The team started their preparatory camp on May 15th in Bhubaneshwar, and have proved that with adequate preparation time, they can achieve positive results. Previously, India had struggled even against lower-ranked teams, but since their preparations for the Asian Cup began, starting with the Tri-Nation tournament in Manipur, they have shown steady improvement. The victory against Lebanon is a promising sign.
In the final, India looked much stronger than in their previous encounter with Lebanon. Even after taking a 2-0 lead, they did not adopt a defensive approach but instead continued to exploit the free spaces in Lebanon’s half, utilising the pace of Chhangte and Naorem.
The win over Lebanon will serve as a significant boost for the Indian team as they prepare to defend their title in the upcoming SAFF Championship, which begin on June 21 in Bengaluru. The performances of emerging youngsters such as Naorem, Rohit Kumar and Anwar Ali, along with Chhangte and Sahal Abdul Samad, have been impressive in this tournament, and Stimac would be pleased with their contributions.