India secured their place in the final of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 with two consecutive wins in their first two games of the tournament. The team, ranked 101st in the world, defeated Mongolia 2-0 and Vanuatu 1-0 to qualify for a place in the final. Lebanon, on the other hand, will be fighting for their spot in the final as they need at least a draw to make it through.
India’s coach Stimac used two different line-ups for the first two games, keeping only Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan as the two constant players in the team. In their first game, Lallinzuala Chhangte and Abdul Sahal Samad showcased their football prowess by scoring early goals, while Sahal was also awarded the Hero of the match award.
In their second game against Vanuatu, India had to rely on skipper Chhetri, who scored the winning goal in the 81st minute. Vanuatu’s defensive strategy made it difficult for India to score, but eventually, the team managed to break through. The game was also special for Chhetri because he announced his wife’s pregnancy during his celebration.
India will have more matches coming up this month as they will head to Bengaluru to play the SAFF Championships, where they will face Pakistan, Nepal and Kuwait. However, the arrival of the Pakistan team is still uncertain as their government is yet to give clearance for the team to participate in the tournament due to current political issues.
India’s absence of Ishan Pandita, who is out with an injury, will continue to affect the team in their future games. Nonetheless, the team had a successful run in the Intercontinental Cup thus far and will be looking to carry the momentum into their upcoming competitions. The final is set to take place on June 18th at the Kalinga Stadium.
