Tri-Nation Friendly Tournament: Five players who impressed

These individuals made the most of the opportunity of playing for the national team.

Indian men’s national team recently took part in the Tri-Nation Friendly Football Tournament. Apart from the Blue Tigers, Myanmar and the Kyrgyz Republic were part of the tournament that took place at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, Manipur.

Igor Stimac’s men won both their encounters to lift the trophy. They defeated Myanmar in the opening game with a 1-0 scoreline thanks to a goal from Anirudh Thapa. In a tougher fixture against the higher-ranked Kyrgyz Republic, India played fabulously to record a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Sandesh Jhingan and Sunil Chhetri.

There were multiple positives to take away from the tournament. Several individuals delivered noteworthy performances and won the hearts of the fans in the stadium. Here is a look at the top-five players that were the most impressive in the Tri-Nation Friendly Football Tournament:

Anirudh Thapa

Anirudh Thapa showcased his quality by impressing in the Tri-Nation Friendly Tournament. The midfielder was in a league of his own against Myanmar and combined well with the wingers by feeding them penetrating through balls.

His most important contribution came in the shape of the winning goal against Myanmar after the midfielder found himself on the end of a rebound and made no mistake in putting the ball in the back of the net. The Chennaiyin FC skipper was impressive against the Kyrgyz Republic as well. His confidence and composure were particularly noteworthy.

Akash Mishra

Akash Mishra was sensational in the left-back position. He made Khel Now’s Indian Super League Team of the Season due to his consistent performances for Hyderabad FC. The full-back carried his form to the Tri-Nation Friendly Tournament and helped India record two clean sheets.

Akash Mishra’s work-rate was particularly impressive. His dribbling into the final third caused plenty of problems for opposition defenders who were struggling to keep up with his pace. In defence, he was quick to sniff out any danger and put in tackles when required to keep the attacking threats at bay. He was unfortunate to pick up a groin injury in the game against the Kyrgyz Republic.

Naorem Mahesh Singh

Naorem Mahesh Singh made his senior international debut, thanks to Igor Stimac’s trust in him. The exciting winger made his mark in both matches from the bench. In the game against Myanmar, the East Bengal attacker enthralled the crowd with his pace and directness. He won a lot of praise from his coach in the post-match press conference too!

“He was brilliant and everything he did tonight was good,” the Croatian said while praising him. In the match against the Kyrgyz Republic, Singh won the penalty for India after brilliant individual work which Sunil Chhetri converted to give the team a commanding 2-0 lead.

Amrinder Singh

Amrinder Singh of Odisha FC started against Myanmar while Gurpreet Singh Sandhu took the position between the sticks against the Kyrgyz Republic. The former was excellent in goal and kept a clean sheet.

The custodian was particularly comfortable in distributing the ball and building from the back. He made a key save from Chhetri who inadvertently headed the ball towards his own goal. The fans inside the stadium left impressed by Amrinder Singh’s performance.

Lallianzuala Chhangte

Lallianzuala Chhangte won the Indian Super League golden ball award (Player of the League) after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The winger was in exceptional form for Mumbai City FC and the expectations were high for him in the Tri-National Friendly Tournament.

As it happens, he did not disappoint. While Lallianzuala Chhangte could not produce an attacking return, his pace and movement caused a lot of problems for the opposition. His quality of deliveries inside the box has improved substantially and it was unlucky that his teammates could not bury the chances he created. Moreover, against the Kyrgyz Republic, he was often seen dragging back to help Pritam Kotal in defence.

Chhangte went on to lift the Golden Ball Award at Imphal as well!