Yangon, March 28: It took India 64 years to defeat Myanmar at Myanmar. Sunil Chhetri's last minute strike sealed a historic win for the Indian side in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier game.
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After an end to end affair throughout the 90 minutes, Stephen Constantine's men emerged victorious thanks to a brilliant combination play from Bengaluru FC duo Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh.
India started the game on a positive note and looked dominant right from the word go. Constantine made a couple of changes in his starting XI from the Cambodia match.
He tweaked the formation to 4-4-2 from the previous match's 4-2-31. Jackichand Singh replaced CK Vineeth on the right flank and Jeje Lalpekhlua came in place Lalrinzuala. Narayan Das replaced Fulganzo Cardozo in the left-back.
Myanmar soon tightened their grip on the match with their lightning fast pace which continuously troubled the Indian backline.
Constantine's strategy to play an offside trap was clearly not working in India's favour.
In the meantime, Jackichand Singh missed the easiest chance of the match. Robin Singh assisted a brilliant ground ball towards Jacki, beating the opponent goalkeeper.
The East Bengal winger missed the opportunity to push the ball into the net from a handshaking distance.
Myanmar started the second half on a much better note than India and created several opportunities. The Indian defenders looked the busiest of the lot for a considerable period of time.
The Indian manager soon brought in Udanta Singh on the flank replacing Robin Singh. This allowed Sunil Chhetri push up front and partner Jeje Lalpekhlua.
Udanta brought in great energy and pace on the field as the home defenders were unable to cope with the Bengaluru FC youngsters pace on the right side.
The bright moment for India came in the 90th minute courtesy a brilliant counter-attacking run from the right side. Udanta found Chhetri at the edge of the penalty box unmarked and passed it.
The experienced Indian star kept his cool and found the back of the net with ease.
The win will give India a huge confidence boost. They remain unbeaten in their last 6 matches and are likely to witness a rise in their FIFA ranking.
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