Farukh Choudhary scores as India hold Vietnam to draw in international friendly

Choudhary repays the faith of the coach with a goal on his return.

The India senior men’s national team played an inspired second half to hold hosts Vietnam to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly at the Thiên Trường Stadium in Nam Định, Vietnam, on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Bui Vi Hao put crowd favourites Vietnam in the lead in the 38th minute, but India pulled back through comeback man Farukh Choudhary’s 58th minute goal. The last time Choudhary played for India was on October 10, 2021. Overall, India produced an all-round performance, with heroics from the defence, the attack, and the midfield.

Goalkeeper and skipper Gurpreet Singh put up a stellar performance, which included a penalty kick save in the 27th minute. While Vietnam are ranked 116 in the FIFA table, India are 10 places behind them.

Vietnam were on the attack from the starting whistle and were looking to pry open the India defence with quick short passes in the attacking third. Hoang Duc and Nguyen Van Toan, the two focal points in the Vietnam attacks, were combining well in their efforts to get behind the India defence.

Hoang Duc had the first opportunity of the match after Van Toan produced a snaky run before releasing the former, whose left-footed shot went wide.

India, on the other hand, had fielded five defenders but were not shy of setting up chances on the break for striker Farukh Choudhary. Breaking on the counter just a few minutes later, Lallianzuala Chhangte released Choudhary, who made a swift decoy movement before nutmegging his marker. Once in some space, he fired a left-footer from outside the box, which was saved by Vietnam goalkeeper Nguyen Filip.

The Blue Tigers had their hearts on their sleeves when Rahul Bheke brought down Bui Vi Hao as the referee pointed to the spot. Vietnam captain Que Ngoc Hai stepped up, but his shot was easily smothered by Gurpreet’s massive frame.

Buoyed by their captain’s save, India looked to funnel their attacks to Choudhary. The 27-year-old, in the 27th minute, stole the ball from Ngoc Hai, played a one-two with Brandon Fernandes, and found himself in a position where he just had to beat the keeper. However, the angle was too acute, and his effort was parried away.

The hosts began to claw their way back into the game, however, enjoying large periods of possession.

The concerted pressure finally paid off in the 38th minute, when a clearance off a Vietnam corner fell to Vi Hao, whose deflected volleyball was blocked by Gurpreet, but the ball hovered around the goal line before rolling in.

The hosts were content with their lead and slowed the pace of the game in their efforts to get the half-time whistle.

If India head coach Manolo Márquez was looking for a reaction from his wards, he definitely had one after the change of ends. The Blue Tigers came out with waves of attacks in the second half. Chhangte’s low cross from the right was cleared, and Farukh was shoved off the ball after he ran in behind the defence.

Despite the pressure on the attacking third, it was an aerial through ball that brought the goal for India. Suresh hung it up behind the defence, as Farukh shrugged off the Vietnam captain before chipping it on the volley over keeper Filip, to put India back on level terms.

The momentum was now well and truly with the visitors, who kept using their wings to produce swift counterattacks.

Farukh had a golden chance once again when Chhangte chipped it over the Vietnam defence to the former, who tried to spoon it over the onrushing keeper again but missed it by inches.

Márquez, in the ensuing minutes, made a few changes, Edmund Lalrindika, Liston Colaco, and Vikram Partap Singh replacing Farukh, Fernandes, and Chhangte, respectively.

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (gk, c); Asish Rai, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Subhasish Bose, Roshan Singh (Aakash Sangwan 89’); Suresh Singh Wangjam (Lalrinliana Hnamte 89’), Brandon Fernandes (Liston Colaco 77’), Apuia Ralte (Jeakson Singh 89’); Lallianzuala Chhangte (Vikram Partap Singh 77’), Farukh Choudhary (Edmund Lalrindika 69’).

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