India vs Jamaica Player Ratings: Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke disappoint in Unity Cup opener
The Blue Tigers went down 2-0 against the Reggae Boys
The Indian National Football Team suffered a 2-0 defeat against the Jamaican National Football Team on the 28th of May, 2026, at The Valley, London, as a part of their semi-final fixture of the Unity Cup, 2026.
In the first half, Jamaica dominated the proceedings and kept knocking on the Indian doors, which paid immediate dividends for them as they found the back of the net in the 8th minute, courtesy of Courtney Clarke, who broke the deadlock of the match. Following this, the Jamaican players kept pushing to extend their advantage, but this time, the Blue Tigers remained composed.
In the second half, the Indian National Team dominated for the first twenty minutes after the inclusion of Rahim Ali, who injected intent and made offensive initiatives. But after the 70th minute, the delay in substitutions laid the foundation for the opponents to score the second goal off Kaheim Dixon and nail the coffin.
At full-time, the score ended 2-0 in favour of Jamaica. Here are the India player ratings for the Unity Cup semi-final match between India and Jamaica.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 6/10
Made some vital saves from the near post when the Jamaican players broke past the Indian backline and tested him. Gurpreet could not have done much to prevent the first goal. Read the ball well during long shots, made some good distributions, and displayed a decent performance.
Rahul Bheke – 5/10
Left space open in the edge of the box along with Nikhil Poojary, rather than pressing the opponent, which was properly punished by the opponents who converted the opportunity into a goal. Apart from that, Bheke looked decent in the defence and did not commit many errors.
Sandesh Jhingan – 6/10
Jhingan made some good tackles and interceptions, which prevented the Jamaican players from scoring handily. Stood solid and made some thumping interceptions, which numbed the Jamaican attacking unit to an extent.
Akash Mishra – 5/10
Was decent in the flanks. Even though he was outmuscled by the opponents multiple times, he did his best to keep the Jamaican players’ overlapping runs from the wings in control. Was disciplined in his positioning during the second half.
Nikhil Poojary – 5/10
Made some tackles when Jamaican players initiated some early attacks, but failed to press Courtney and block his shooting angle, which led to him scoring. Ventured into the attacking half and contributed with a few crosses. Managed to tighten spaces on the wings as the match progressed, holding off intense pressure through long stretches of the second half.
Roshan Singh Naorem – 4.5/10
Roshan had a passable performance. Pushed forward along with Nikhil Poojary to contribute to the attack, where his contributions remained minimal. Roshan struggled later in the game when he was the lone midfielder for the vast majority of the second half.
Jeakson Singh – 4/10
Jeakson made a bad pass in the defensive third, which paved the way for the opponent’s scoring the opener. Held the ball and maintained possession, but at times it felt like he lacked decision-making, as he gave away the ball even when passing options were available.
Lallianzuala Chhangte – 6/10
Pressed the opponents well, but did not have much of a role to play in the attacking third. Chhangte looked decent when he dropped into the midfield, where he controlled the ball decently. Made some quick moves in the second half, which even won the Blue Tigers a free kick from dangerous positions. Found the back of the net in the second half, but to his dismay, it was called offside.
Farukh Choudhary – 4.5/10
Farukh committed a comical blunder in tn the early minutes of the game, gifting the ball to Courtney, who broke the deadlock from the edge of the box. However, in the second half, Farukh won some duels and snatched back the possession from the Jamaican players and sparked some attacks.
Edmund Lalrindika – 5/10
Edmund tracked back during a few instances to help the team defensively. Apart from that, he did not have much contributions in the match and was substituted at the end of the first half for Rahim Ali. Was mostly chasing long, speculative clearance balls that were easily intercepted by Jamaica’s physical backline.
Ryan Williams – 5/10
Ryan felt lonely in the final third and was unable to create much trouble for the opponents. Lacked support and had to drop deep into his own half to win the balls, leaving India with zero presence in the final third. and was unable to contribute much to the team. Was subbed off early in the second half due to an injury.
Substitutes
Rahim Ali – 6/10
Led the line from the front and kept the pressing high, injecting a relatively higher intent from the Blue Tigers to attack.
Noufal – 5/10
Noufal took a powerful volley in his very first touch, which, even though it went off target, built the momentum for the Blue Tigers. Surprisingly, Noufal was called back to the bench after playing for thirty-odd minutes.
Ricky Shabong – N/A
Vikram Partap Singh – N/A
Mohammed Sanan – N/A
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Niranjan R Prabhu is an Economics student from Kochi with an enduring passion for Indian football, especially as a devoted Kerala Blasters FC fan — a club he considers part of his life. Beyond the game, he writes on culture, Indian economic development, and sustainability, always eager to explore ideas in depth. His days are a balancing act between college, writing, and travel.