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The Indian football team displayed a scintillating performance against the higher-ranked Kyrgyz Republic in the Tri-National International Tournament held in Imphal on Tuesday, securing a 2-0 victory and bagging the trophy with an all-win record. This win follows their 1-0 victory over Myanmar on March 22.
The opening goal came from the centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who found the target in the 34th minute. Midfielder Brandon Fernandes put the ball in front of the rival goal off a free-kick and Jhingan pounced on it to find the back of the net to open India's account in the first half.
It was a moment of sheer brilliance from Jhingan, who left the Kyrgyz Republic goalkeeper Tokotaev Erzhan stunned with a deft touch that sent the ball into the goal, rather than opting for a header.
India kept pushing forward, creating opportunities, and launching attacks throughout the game, with the Kyrgyz Republic struggling to keep up. The pressure finally paid off in the 84th minute when Naorem Mahesh Singh was brought down inside the penalty box by Davydov Nikolai. The ensuing spot-kick saw Sunil Chhetri, India's talismanic striker, scoring his 85th international goal and adding insurance to the lead.
The victory was India's fifth straight win on home turf and was made even more impressive considering head coach Igor Stimac made six changes from the team that started against Myanmar. Despite the alterations to the starting line-up, India's rhythm was never broken.
If the tournament's main objective was to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup in January, then India's performance proved to be a success. With a growing sense of confidence, India's team looks poised to make a strong statement in the forthcoming continental challenge. The players demonstrated that they are improving and becoming more formidable with each game.
