June 10 will be one of the most memorable days in the history of Indian football as the Blue Tigers beat fancied Kenya 2-0 to lift the Intercontinental Cup in style. The star of the show was once again India’s inspirational skipper Sunil Chhetri.
Chhetri scored two goals to finish the tournament with a staggering eight goals. The brace also helped Chhetri equal Lionel Messi’s international goal tally (64). Chhetri is now the joint second highest international goal scorer among active players.
Playing in his 102nd international match, Chhetri gave India the perfect start by scoring in the eighth minute. 21 minutes later, he was on the target again as India strengthened their grip on the game.
The first goal came off a free-kick as Chhetri showed his poaching skills in front of the goal. Anirudh Thapa took the free-kick just outside the box and Chhetri came back off the line to fire the ball into the net. He then doubled the lead just before the half-hour mark. Anas Edathodika lofted the ball to Chhetri who controlled the ball nicely on his chest between Kenyan defenders Jockins Atudo and Micheal Kibwage before firing in a low left-footer from inside the box.
The second half wore a different look. Kenya did the bulk of attacking while the Indians had no option but to sit back and defend. Well, they did it with utmost aplomb. And if the first half belonged to Chhetri then the second half was all about goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The custodian, who had not conceded a goal before the final, once again kept a clean sheet with a stunning display. The African outfit constantly troubled Gurkeerat but he remained rock solid to help India win the title.
Following the game, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to hail the Indian team. He also had a word of praise for Sunil Chhetri, as he wrote a heartwarming message:
“Splendid performance from the #MenInBlue. Keep it up, @chetrisunil11 and the @IndianFootball team. You guys totally deserved this victory. Our support will always continue to be with you. #INDvKEN”
Splendid performance from the #MenInBlue. Keep it up, @chetrisunil11 and the @IndianFootball team. You guys totally deserved this victory. Our support will always continue to be with you. #INDvKEN pic.twitter.com/JxKYVlF8Ej
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 10, 2018