By Nilanjan Datta,
AIFF Media Team
India 1 (Krishna Pandit – 64th)
lost to
Kuwait 2 (Khaled Alenezi – 8th, Salem Albariki – 44th – penalty)
KUWAIT CITY: If you want to witness character on Football Field, come watch India’s U-16 boys. Down by two first-half goals, the grit, determination, the one-twos, all combined together with the fighting spirit was displayed to around 2000 NRIs that Indian Football is promising to storm into Continental Championships very soon.
Forget the ovation from the stands, the walk to the Team Bus from the Dressing Room was a Guard of Honour. They clapped, chanted, requested to be posed for Family Albums and enquired about the origin of the Team. One being told that it was a product of AIFF Academies Project, they went back assured.
And then came the comment – “Man this is Arsenal! This is not Indian Football, this is Arsenal….” It came from Mervyn Franco, the brother of Denzil Franco, who had come with his family to cheer.
Krishna Pandit reduced the margin for India in the 64th minute as India went down fighting 1-2 in their last match of the U-16 AFC Qualifiers at the Sabah Al-Salem Stadium. India finished on seven points with Tajikistan but the latter finished second by virtue of better goal difference.
Quite naturally, the boys broke down. It was hard to console them. They have their own dreams and are pursuing it.
The plethora of passes in the midfield was evident. The U-15 boys playing in their first Continental Championship – the U-16 AFC Qualifiers played it in gaps to make the rivals chase.
Down by an early goal scored as early as the 8th minute by an opportunistic Khaled Alenezi who followed a long ball to tap it past Dheeraj Singh, the Indians regrouped, and fast. Anirudh Thapa and Prosenjit Chakraborty stayed the two pivots who rotated, played the one-twos and split the defence, who with their physical prowess were denying the Indians.
Nuruddin was just a livewire down the right flank. He went past Mubarak Alenezi a couple of times to enter the rival box but the Kuwait boys recovered to keep it at bay. With the rivals guessing, the India wards did create some chances but once a Nuruddin shot from inside the box just went out and twice, the rival Goalkeeper Omar Mohammad managed to keep the slate clean. He was an epitome of concentration even as he stooped down to gather some powerful grounders, three of which could have easily bounced back, but didn’t.
As the Indians were playing all over and all in charge, Kuwait, much against the run of play doubled the lead form the spot which was awarded after Dheeraj Singh had gathered the ball to deny a Alenezi shot.
The second-half was totally one-sided. India played in the rival half all throughout as Kuwait defended, and somehow. However, India reduced the margin in the 64th minute – substitute Krishna Pandit sidestepped Naseer Saeed to slot it home.
Thereafter, the domination stayed omnipresent. But Kuwait managed to stretch it to 90 minutes.
History will always remember the result but history is in the making, all for Indian Football. “This is Arsenal.”
INDIA: Dheeraj Singh (Goalkeeper), Amey Ranawade, Jayananda Singh, Amit Tudu, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Kharlukhi (Bodo Baoringdao – 70th), Prosenjit Chakraborty, Anirudh Thapa, Nuruddin, Nijwm Muchahary (Edmund Lalrindika – 80th), Bedashwor Singh (Krishna Pandit – 60th).
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