AFC U-22 Qualifiers: India trash Lebanon 5-2!

The India Under-22s started their campaign in the AFC Under-22 Asian Championship qualifiers with a resounding 5-2 victory against Lebanon at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman.

Striker Manandeep Singh paid the perfect tribute to his deceased grandfather heading in a scorching header off a Lalrindika cross in the 15th minute to put India in the lead while Alwyn George slotted in past an advancing rival goalkeeper Nazih Hassan in the 38th minute. He added one more in the 54th minute while Jeje Lalpekhlua scored his first goal in the 70th minute and completed the rout in injury time. Lebanon had pulled goals back through substitute Omar Kurdi in the 48th minute while Abdul Fattah scored his teams other goal in the 69th minute.

Under the new coach Arthur Papas the new style was about possession. The boys stayed as protective of the ball, they roamed around it all over, sometimes at a leisurely place, the next moment with a sudden run. Lebanon chased.

In the first half, India were more prepared; more organised. The practice sessions in Delhi and Dubai helped the team to acclimatise faster then the Lebanese. Muscat, despite being hotter, was more homely for them than Lebanon. It showed as Manandeep Singh gave India a 15th minute lead before Alwyn George doubled the lead in the 38th minute.

But just three minutes into the second session Lebanon reduced the margin through Omar Kurdi sneaking in between the two stoppers Souvik Ghosh and Deepak Devrani to slot it home. Suddenly it seemed, India were losing the plot and Arthur Papas, not much pleased in the momentum being lost, wanted to bring on captain Jeje Lalpekhlua, who is still not 100% fit. But before Jeje replaced Manandeep, Alwyn George made it 3-1. Receiving the ball midway into the rival half, Alwyn sneaked past three Lebanese players and placed it in the corner for his second goal of the match. Lebanon once more reduced the deficit through Abdul Fattah's tap in off a melee in the 69th minute but the very next minute Jeje announced his arrival scoring into the right corner of the inner box.

With no option left, Lebanon went all out. India stayed content in slowing down the pace for the rest of the match. Lebanon did try to press hard but it came too late. On the contrary, Dika hit the post which should have been India's fifth goal, but his room mate Jeje made it 5-2 off a counter in injury time.

The India Under-22s made a successful start under new 32-year Australian coach Arthur Papas with the team playing with more intent for a deserving victory.

In the dressing room, Manandeep couldn't hold himself back. His heart was too wet by then and tears overflowed into his eyes. His team mates consoled him. Tears of pain? Or Tears of Joy?

"I wanted to pay my respect to my Grandfather. He loved me like anything," Manandeep said. Alwyn came over put his arm around his shoulder and the duo walked towards the team bus. The rest followed.

It ended an emotional, but successful afternoon in Muscat. No tougher assignments will be waiting for the Indians in the coming days.



INDIA Under-22s

1-Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Captain); 3-Abhishek Das, 14-Souvik Ghosh, 4-Deepak Devrani, 5-Narayan Das; 7-Ganeshan (67' 34- Pronay Halder), 17-Ongnam Milan Singh, 28-Shaiju Mon Muthappan (86' 32-Tirthankar Sarkar), 8-Lalrindika Ralte; 12-Alwyn George, 35-Manandeep Singh (55' 10-Jeje Lalpekhlua)