The Intercontinental Cup—a friendly tournament that started in 2018 with India winning the inaugural title—had seen the Blue Tigers finish bottom in the last edition of the tournament in 2019.
Four years later, India beat Lebanon for the first time in 46 years in the final of the same tournament, winning its second Intercontinental Cup title at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
After a goalless first half, India struck early in the second half, with Lallianzuala Chhangte, Nikhil Poojary, and Sunil Chhetri combining in an overlap, followed by a cross by Chhangte to Chhetri.
The 38-year-old Indian captain proved to be ageless yet again as he scored his 87th international goal, giving India the lead.
Five minutes after the hour mark, Chhetri was at it again, this time setting up Naorem Mahesh Singh for a shot, which was initially stopped by Lebanon’s goalkeeper Ali Sabeh but was put in the net by Chhangte in the follow-up. It was the second silverware for Igor Stimac’s side in three months as it gets ready for the big test, the AFC Asian Cup, set to be played in Qatar next year.
WATCH: Anirudh Thapa weighs in on India’s Intercontinental Cup triumph
After the 10-day tournament in the Odisha capital, Stimac will have plenty to be happy about the performance while some things will have to stand the test of time.
A solid blue wall at last
When India stepped into the field for the final, it was not just the 46-year-old record it was looking to break.
There was an older record of six consecutive clean sheets in 1952, under legendary former Indian coach Syed Abdul Raheem.
On June 18, India got level to six clean sheets in a row—three each in this tournament and three in the Tri-Nations Tournament, which India won in March.
Two of the most important men behind the success have been Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali. Coming from the land of Jarnail Singh, one of India’s best defenders of all time, they have become an effective close-knit combination for the Blue Tigers.
In the Intercontinental Cup, they distributed their responsibilities really well—Anwar became the ball-playing centre-back while Jhingan became the pillar in the box.
When India scored its first goal in this tournament, it was Anwar’s key pass—crossed by Anirudh Thapa from the left flank—which was ultimately shot into the net by Sahal Abdul Samad just two minutes into the match.
Jhingan, on the other hand, proves to be an attack through set-pieces—something that saw him score in the final of the Tri-Nations Tournament, three months ago.
But their most important achievement has been securing clean sheets, much to the delight of Stimac. “More importantly, other than the win, we got the clean sheet,” he said after full-time.
Jubilant scenes: By beating Lebanon for the first time in 46 years, the Indian football team also secured six consecutive clean sheets. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
ISL finally bearing fruits
The Intercontinental Cup has been a revelation for two boys—Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojary.
Poojary’s gorgeous back-heel in the final, earning him the nickname ‘back-heel Poojary’, as well as Akash’s runs along the flanks, have made sure India has plenty of options beyond Pritam Kotal and Subhasish Bose—the conventional full-backs under Stimac.
Both Mishra and Poojary had honed their skills under Manolo Marquez during his time as head coach of Hyderabad FC, which won the ISL title in 2022.
This, in turn, hints at the narrative that the dream of having quality players in India through a franchise league—which has now become India’s premier division—is finally taking shape.
Mahesh Singh is another example. The 24-year-old was one of the most promising talents in an otherwise lacklustre East Bengal side last season. For Stimac, he has been brilliant, making an instant impact coming off the bench.
He did so on multiple occasions against Vanuatu in the second game on June 12 and in the final, Chhangte’s goal in the final had come after his shot was saved.
As the ISL expands to more teams with the promotion model starting next season, it will be interesting to see how many more players can come out of the system to become another ‘back-heel Poojary’ for India.
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Who after Sunil Chhetri?
One of the most pertinent questions for over a decade in Indian football has been who will fill in for Sunil Chhetri as striker when he decides to hang up his boots.
The Indian captain was the difference against Vanuatu as India won that game 1-0, securing its spot in the final. And it was Chhetri again who gave India the lead against Lebanon in the final.
Having made his debut against Pakistan in 2005, Chhetri was one of the only two strikers (the other being Rahim Ali) in the squad for the tournament, with Ishan Pandita ruled out with a hamstring injury before the first game of the Intercontinental Cup, against Mongolia. Rahim, however, has failed to capitalise on key chances throughout the tournament, with the Blue Tigers falling back to the Indian veteran, Chhetri, for goals.
Stimac, though, has asked for more support for the forwards. “Let’s be more supportive. Please get behind these boys. They deserve it. Your support will make them more secure in front of the goal,” he told the reporters.
India’s next challenge will be in the SAFF Championship—a tournament it will enter as the defending champion and it will be without Pandita, who is still recovering from his injury.
The Blue Tigers will then play in the King’s Cup in Thailand, the Merdeka Cup in Singapore, the Asian Games, and then the FIFA World Cup qualifiers before the Asian Cup.
The real test for Stimac’s side begins here—how the team, having won two trophies in three months, avoids complacency and whether it can have enough options in front to look for goals in important matches.
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