India Under-19 start with a win against Turkmenistan

The India Under-19 boys started their AFC Under-19 Championship qualifiers in Group C with a 3-1 win against Turkmenistan at the Takhti Stadium in Tehran tonight.

Turkmenistan had the better start into the game, but after their initial burst it was the young Indians who took charge of the game. Brandon Fernandes and Sehnaj Singh took control in midfield and with Holicharan Narzary and Captain Malswamfela interchanging, the Turkmenistan defence was stretched a lot.

The first goal for India came in the 39th minute. Brandon Fernandes, who with his deft touches had always kept the rival defence guessing, got past Gurt Podarov with a sudden burst of speed on the right side. Caught on the wrong foot, Podarov, all in desperation had little option but to bring Brandon down inside the box only to be given marching orders. Brandon gleefully converted from the spot to put India in the lead. It stayed 1-0 for India at the breather.

After the break against the run of play Myradov equalised for for Turkmenistan in the 56th minute. But it didn't last long as four minutes later, Malswamfela side-stepped two defenders before blasting it in to give India a 2-1 lead.

India U-19 head coach Colm Toal made a double substitution – Johnychand Singh coming in place of Brandon Fernandes and Prabir Das replacing Pronay Halder -- and the fresh legs sealed the game for India. In the 82nd minute, Prabir tapped in India's third goal after Holicharan Narzary had moved past a couple of defenders down the left flank. But as a late dampener for India, birthday-boy Anto Xavier was red-carded in the 86th minute.

India next play Iran on November 2 in what could be a crucial match in deciding India's fate in the qualifiers, while in today's other match Uzbekistan U-19 defeated Pakistan U-19 3-0.


India Under-19: 23-Ravi Kumar; 14-Narayan Das, 4-Bikramjit Singh, 3-Sonu, 16-Pritam Kotal; 12-Brandon Fernandes (67' 20-Johnychand Singh), 22-Anto Xavier, 9-Sehnaj Singh, 8-Pronay Halder (69' 7-Prabir Das); 11-Holicharan Narzary, 13-Malswamfela [C] (85' 24-Sunny)
Unused Substitutes: 21-Albino Giovanni Gomes, 26-Mohammad Moniruzzaman Ansari, 2-Pawan Kumar, 5-Arijeet Singh, 6-Akashdeep Singh, 10-Sumeet Passi, 15-Edwin Gosula, 17-Rajinder Kumar, 33-Tirthankar Sarkar