Asian Games 2023: Sunil Chhetri's late penalty helps India to beat Bangladesh

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• Sep 21, 2023 | Dhupali Das

In a nail-biting encounter at Hangzhou's Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium, the India men's football team emerged victorious with a hard-fought...

Digital Desk: In a nail-biting encounter at Hangzhou's Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium, the India men's football team emerged victorious with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Bangladesh in their second group-stage match of the Asian Games 2023. The match took place on Thursday, September 21, and saw Indian captain Sunil Chhetri scoring a late penalty to save his team from an embarrassing exit and keep their hopes alive for the knockout stages.

After suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat against China in their opening game, the Blue Tigers were determined to redeem themselves against a relatively weaker side, Bangladesh. Both India and Bangladesh were entering the match on the back of losses in their opening games—Bangladesh narrowly losing 1-0 to Myanmar and India enduring a humbling defeat against the host nation.

India's crucial breakthrough came during the 85th minute, when Bangladesh's Rahmat Mia fouled midfielder Bryce Miranda inside the penalty area, conceding a spot-kick. Sunil Chhetri, India's talismanic captain, stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to give his team a much-needed lead. The Indian team held on to their lead until the final whistle to secure the victory.

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India's head coach, Igor Stimac, made three changes to the starting lineup, with Dheeraj Singh, Chinglensana Singh, and Rohit Danu coming in for Gurmeet Singh, Rahim Ali, and Sumit Rathi, respectively. Both teams struggled to create clear scoring opportunities as solid defensive displays dominated the game.

With this win, India's chances of advancing to the knockout stages remain alive. They will face Myanmar in their final group-stage match on Sunday. Meanwhile, Bangladesh will go head-to-head against Group A leaders China on the same day, as both teams seek to secure a spot in the next round of the competition.

India Playing XI: Dheeraj Singh, Lalchungnunga, Chinglensana Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Ayush Chhetri, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Rahul KP, Sunil Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Abdul Anjukandan, Rohit Danu

Bangladesh Playing XI: Mitul Marma, Mojibor Rahman Jony, Hasan Murad, Md Ridoy, Rabiul Hasan, Suman Reza, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Isa Faysal, Jayed Ahmed, Rahmat Mia, Sakil Hossain