India defeated hosts Laos by two second half goals in their concluding Group G match of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers 2025 at the Lao National Stadium KM16 on Sunday, September 29, 2024. However, they have been eliminated by virtue of not being among the better performing teams among second placed teams at the group stage.
In a match that could have won by a tennis-like score, the Blue Colts squandered a series of scoring chances before finding the net through Gwgwmsar Goyary (69’) and Thanglalsoun Gangte (84’) to notch up full points.
While India finished with six points from three matches and were second in the four-team group behind IR Iran, it remains to be seen whether this performance can secure them a spot in the final rounds of the competition.
The top teams of the 10 groups along with the five best second-place finishers will qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025. India finished second in group G with a 6-2 goal difference.
India spent most of the first 45 minutes lurking around the Laos area to find a goal but had to troop back to the dressing room without success. While the home side rode their luck to keep the scoresheet clean, India missed a host of opportunities. Going by the trend of the proceedings, the Blue Colts should have been up by a comfortable margin, but they failed to avail chances that came their way.
Kelvin Singh Taorem surprised everyone around when he couldn’t find the target despite having the Laos goalkeeper at his mercy. Kop Lokpathib, the Laos custodian, by far the busiest person on the pitch, looked more relieved than anyone around when Goyary ballooned over the bar from just outside the six-yard area.
India were definitely the better side and penetrated almost at will. But it didn’t break the ice. While Laos survived by the skin of their teeth, Indian strikers switched to the tactics of unleashing long rangers. It didn’t help. Most of the shots were off-target; the rest landed straight in the keeper’s hands.
There was no change in the pattern in the second session, except that Laos took advantage of India’s frustration. As India U20 increased men in attack in search of the elusive goal, Laos seized the opportunity to go for the counter-attacks.
Twice the Indian goal experienced rare attacks that had all the ingredients to leave them red-faced. Thankfully, Sahil was alert under the bar on both occasions.
Barring these stray attacks by Laos, their goal was under constant siege by the Indian strikers. At least three positive chances were missed by the men in blue in quick succession before their relentless pursuit for a goal bore fruit in the 69th minute. A long ball from Manglenthang Kipgen found Goyary inside the box, who beat the goalkeeper with a grounder.
In the 84th minute, substitute Thanglalsoun Gangte fired the second goal from inside the box.
India U20: Sahil (gk); Lambalmayum Hemba Meetei, Thomas K Cherian (c), Pramveer, Malemngamba Singh Thokchom; Akash Tirkey, Ebindas Yesudasan (Naoba Meitei Pangambam, 63’); Korou Singh Thingujam, Manglenthang Kipgen, Kelvin Singh Taorem (Thanglalsoun Gangte, 63’); Gwgwmsar Goyary.
AIFF Media
They tried so hard and got so far, but it did not matter in the end. India came within just a few goals of qualifying for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025, in what was their best qualification campaign in 22 years at this age group.
The equation was simple for the Blue Colts as they took to the pitch against Laos in their last match of Group G of the AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. After beating Mongolia (4-1) and suffering a heartbreaking defeat against IR Iran (0-1), India needed to win against hosts Laos at the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane, Laos, and then hope for the results in the other nine groups to go their way.
While they executed the first part, the latter was eventually their undoing.
The top teams from each group, along with the five best second-placed finishers qualified for the final rounds. While India’s victory against Laos (2-0) on Sunday, 29 September, 2024, initially put them among the top five second-placed teams, the Blue Colts had to endure an agonising four-hour wait to find out that they eventually finished seventh, falling short on goal difference.
Syria, Uzbekistan, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Korea DPR, Indonesia, IR Iran, Iraq, Japan, and Qatar qualified as the winners of their respective groups, while Yemen, Kyrgyz Republic, Australia, Thailand, and Jordan qualified as the five best second-placed teams.
India (+4) only fell short on goal difference, after garnering six points, the same as Thailand (+17) and Jordan (+8).
There were no celebratory scenes after the match, as everyone rushed to their phones to check what was happening in the other groups. However, Laos being four hours ahead of the Middle East, where several crucial games were being played, the exhausted Indians were in for a long night.
In the end, Kyrgyz Republic’s 1-1 draw against Japan, and Australia’s stalemate against Qatar were enough to push India out of the top five. Glued to the sundry live streams from across the internet, the Blue Colts had one last hope. Jordan had to beat Qatar. However, even that did not come to pass, the latter winning 3-2 on their home turf.
India head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri rued the missed chances. “The boys played so well, I am proud of them. But sometimes, things just don’t go your way,” he said. “We created so many chances that we could have scored six-seven goals against both Laos and Mongolia. Eventually, we were punished for not converting them. That’s where we need to improve.”
Despite the unsuccessful qualification campaign, however, India can take comfort in the heart they showed in the three matches. While their games against Mongolia and IR Iran were played in front of empty galleries, the Laos match saw an attendance of 3,323 in Vientiane, as the spectators jeered every India attack.
After the dust had settled at the Lao National Stadium, however, the sentiments were completely reversed. As the Blue Colts traipsed out of the stadium towards their bus, they were flanked by hundreds of Laotian supporters, who gave them a standing ovation in the mixed zone. Autographs were signed and selfies clicked aplenty, in a show of the true sporting spirit.
AIFF Media
Be First to Comment