Updated June 8th, 2021 at 11:08 IST
Indian football fans celebrate team's 2-0 win vs Bangladesh as Chhetri scores two goals
Indian football emerged supreme on Monday night after the Blue Tigers won their World Cup Qualifiers Group E match against sub-continental rivals Bangladesh.
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India pulled off a stunning victory against Bangladesh in the World Cup qualifiers on Monday. The victory helped India get to the 3rd position on the table, just one point ahead of Afghanistan. Once again it was Sunil Chhetri who came to the rescue, scoring two goals for the Indians on the night. A win on the night was very important to stay in the group as India were slowly looking to make their way out of the tournament after failing to win a single game. Here is more on Indian football, World Cup Qualifier standings and Bangladesh vs India highlights.
Indian Football: Will India qualify for World Cup in Qatar?
India are out of contention for the 2022 World Cup, but finishing 3rd in the group will help them get to the Final of the Asian Cup Qualifiers in 2023. The Blue Tigers defended phenomenally well against Asian champions Qatar. After the red card to Rahul Bheke, India contained Qatar really well but ended up losing 1-0 to them. India's next game is against Afghanistan, who are just below them on the table and a victory on Tuesday, June 15, will help them solidify their spot for the Asian Cup.
Fans react to India's win over Bangladesh
Indian fans were ecstatic after the win and everyone seemed to celebrate the fact that captain Sunil Chhetri had gone past Lionel Messi in the international goalscoring list. President of the AIFF, Praful Patel, congratulated team India and Sunil Chhetri on their fantastic victory over Bangladesh. Twitter has been buzzing after India's win and optimism is back in the camp as the Blue Tigers prepare to face Afganistan next.
Congratulations #BlueTigers on an awesome win over Bangladesh today & fabulous performance by skipper @chetrisunil11 who lead from the front & paved the path to victory. Your hard work & determination was visible on the field. Wishing you all the very best in the upcoming game! pic.twitter.com/NXs5tQR9uG
— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) June 7, 2021
Sunil Chhetri stats
The captain of the Indian football team has been nothing short of inspirational and has led the Blue Tigers wonderfully well throughout the course of the tournament. Chhetri's two goals gave the Indians a significant victory over their sub-continental rivals Bangladesh, who were defending quite well. The two goals against Bangladesh mean that the Indian captain has surpassed Argentina's iconic player Lionel Messi who has scored 72 times for his national team. Chhetri currently has 74 goals in 117 appearances for India. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has more goals than the Indian, the Portuguese legend has 103 goals in 174 matches played for his national team.
🤩 He’s now got more than Messi! Sunil Chhetri’s double earns the Blue Tigers a 2-0 win in #WCQ and moves him on to 74 international goals – above Lionel Messi and one off entering world football’s all-time top 10 🧗♂️@chetrisunil11 | @IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/sCCd6BgS9H
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 7, 2021
In a post-game clip, when asked if he counted his goals tally internationally, Chhetri said, "You know that I don't, I am happy that we won, once I am done in 10 years you and me will talk about all the goals." The 36-year-old has been a key figure in Indian football and has helped India come out of tough situations like this in the past. India will need another special performance from their talisman, Chhetri, to ensure victory against Afghanistan.
🗣️ @chetrisunil11: "To win 3⃣ points, win a full game is sweet! I'm really happy that we also kept a clean sheet" 👊
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2021
How do you rate that effort from the #BlueTigers on both ends of the field?#BANIND ⚔️ #WCQ 🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/RsemCez8qg
World Cup Qualifiers standings
Qatar are placed on top of Group E, having already qualified for World Cup 2022 as the host nation. They will be looking to seal their Asian Cup spot as these are joint qualifiers for the World Cup 2022 and the Asian Cup 2023. UAE are second on the table with 12 points and are still in the running to qualify for the World Cup. India secured the third spot after their first victory in Group E.
Picture Credits: Indian Football Team/Twitter
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Published June 8th, 2021 at 11:08 IST
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