AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers football: India beat Myanmar 4-1 to win third match on the trot

The Indian men’s football team continued its unbeaten run in the Group D of the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers with a 4-1 win over Myanmar at the Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Stadium in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia on Friday.

India had beaten Maldives 5-0 and Kuwait 3-0 in their previous two matches. The win over Myanmar helped India stay second in Group D behind two-time champions Saudi Arabia, whom they will play on Sunday.

The 10 group winners will directly enter the AFC Asian Cup main draw while the six best runners-up across all groups also qualify for the main event.

All four strikes for India came in the later part of the first-half as captain Vanlalpeka Guite (27', 34') and forward Thanglalsoun Gangte (32' (p), 44') scored two goals each to lead India to victory. Myanmar’s Htoo Wai Yan (60') pulled one back for his team in the second-half. 

The first-half began with both sides looking to build from the back and control possession. The first shot on target came in the 21st minute through Korou Singh, who hit one from the edge of the penalty area but it did not have sufficient power.

Six minutes later, the first breakthrough came as Guite's free-kick from long range beat everyone in the penalty box and flew past the Myanmar goalkeeper into the net. The goal sparked the game into life as India proceeded to score three more goals in a 12-minute spell.

Lalpekhlua was brought down in the penalty area in the 32nd minute and Gangte stepped up to slam home a powerful spot-kick. Two minutes later, Guite added his second as Korou intercepted the Myanmar goalkeeper's pass and the Indian skipper latched on to the loose ball and finished tidily.

A teasing cross from the right found an unmarked Gangte inside the penalty area three minutes from the break, but his shot went over the crossbar. However, the forward registered his second goal of the evening in the 44th minute after finding the goalkeeper out of position and beating him with an instinctive finish from outside the box.

India picked up from where they left off in the second-half, creating a flurry of chances. At the hour mark, against the run of play, Myanmar pulled a goal back as Htoo Wai Yan's shot took a deflection and found the back of the net.

Head coach Bibiano Fernandes made a series of changes as India continued to have the attacking momentum. In the 70th minute, substitute Boby Singh squared the ball to Gangte, who finished with aplomb but the goal was ruled out as the winger was offside during the build-up.

The match eventually ended with the score 4-1 in favour of the Indian side.