Imphal
After India edged Myanmar 1-0 in the opening game of the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament, head coach Igor Stimac said that the scoreline could have been bigger given the complete dominance of the hosts.
Two decisions involving captain Sunil Chhetri – an apparent foul on him not given as a penalty in the first half and a goal disallowed for offside – led Stimac to state, For me, the result is 3-0, not 1-0.
I cannot say anything to my players as they did everything we agreed upon. Goalkeeper Amrinder was excellent tonight, and Sunil was unfortunate not to score. He was hungry for goals and could’ve had a hat-trick, said the Croatian as quoted by an AIFF press release.
While many would not have expected Chhetri to play the entire 90 minutes in Imphal just four days after a gruelling ISL Final, the skipper’s hunger and determination to get back to national duty was what helped Stimac make the decision.
Sunil was the first player to make it to the camp after the ISL Final. He did not waste a minute but rather rushed to join the national team. That proves his hunger and commitment. He is one of the fittest players in the squad and can play continuously for three days, the coach said.
In the pre-match press conference, Stimac said one of the elements of these March friendlies will be to celebrate the players’ achievements in the ISL and recognise their good performances.
