Bahrain: Indian and Mumbai City youngster scored his first international goal as Bahrain secured a 2-1 victory over India in the international friendly encounter. The game saw head coach Igor Stimac handing international debuts to five players. While VP Suhair and Danish Farooq started alongside, Roshan Naorem Singh, Anwar Ali and Aniket Jadhav came on as second half substitutes.
FULL TIME! That's the end of the first of the 2 Friendlies in Bahrain, and it's a narrow defeat for the #BlueTigers 🐯
Chin up lads. We'll be back for the next game! 🙌
🇧🇭 2-1 🇮🇳#BHRIND ⚔️ #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/wRHXDy3Zrj
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 23, 2022
Bahrain were off the perfect start when they earned a spot kick as early as the sixth minute of the game, when Mohammad Maroon’s shot hit Sandesh Jhingan’s hand. However, custodian and skipper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was enough to avert the danger. Despite, Bahrain found the breakthrough in the 34th minute through Mohqmad Hardan going into the break with a one goal lead.
Understanding the lack of creativity in the midfield, Igor Stimac brought in Roshan Naorem Singh in place of Liston Colaco. A change that facilitated the game for the Blue Tigers to quite some extent. The second substitution came in the 56th minute – Anirudh Thapa replacing Suhair. India earned a corner almost immediately, and it brought their equaliser. The corner was played short, and Roshan floated it viciously behind the rival defence and the goalkeeper for Rahul Bheke to head home giving India a much needed equalizer in the 58th minute.
However, with only two minutes remaining from the regular time, Humaidan fooled Pritam Kotal to slot past the winner handing India a loss. With only 14 players available for the game Igor Stimac made the best out of the situation, however, a shambolic display from the defenders with no co-ordination is somehow to be blamed. Post injury Sandesh Jhingan that saw him return from Croatia base HNK Sibenik is a shadow of the player prior to it. and lack of cohesion between players like Pritam and Pranoy Halder added to the miseries.
India play Belarus next on March 26, with a full squad available for selection it can be hoped that coach Stimac whips out something more powerful.
