Chhetri recalls India's 'fantastic' 2019 AFC Asian Cup victory ahead of Thailand friendly
From the Asian Games to the Asian Cup, from the King's Cup to the Nehru Cup, the history of India versus Thailand clashes in men's football is a long one. Including the first meeting, which India won 4-1 at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, the Blue Tigers and Changsuek have played 26 times. The head-to-head reads seven wins for India, 12 for Thailand, and seven draws.
The previous two matches, however, were both won by India in 2019. A sensational 4-1 win at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in Abu Dhabi, before a narrow 1-0 victory to win bronze at the King's Cup on Thai soil.
Sunil Chhetri, who scored the first two goals in the Asian Cup victory, reminisced about the performance that ended India's 55-year wait for a win at the continental showpiece event.
"That was a long time back. What I remember of the game was that the team was outstanding. (Anirudh) Thapa was amazing. So was Udanta (Singh Kumam). The defence was amazing. Ashique (Kuruniyan) started with me, and he was good. The whole team was really, really good in that game," he told the AIFF's official website.
"I think at that time, Thailand were probably better than us on paper by a mile. We were underdogs in that game, and to win the game the way we did — it wasn't just four goals but the way we held ourselves and dominated the game — was really fantastic," said Chhetri, who became the first Indian to score at two Asian Cups in that game.
The 40-year-old added that it serves as a source of motivation for the Blue Tigers as they prepare to face Thailand again in the FIFA International Friendly on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani.
"That's also a marker for us to know that on a good day, if we work hard, that's what we can achieve. That game was special because a lot of young people did really well. So, we are taking a lot of positivity and inspiration from the game," said Chhetri.
While India are currently placed 127th in the FIFA Rankings, Thailand are 99th. The Changsuek have risen 14 places since Japanese coach Masatada Ishii took charge in December 2023 and led them to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup a month later. Except for missing out on the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after finishing behind Korea Republic and China in the group, 2024 was a fairly successful year for Thailand. They won the King's Cup after beating Philippines and Syria, and were finalists in the ASEAN Championship, losing 3-5 on aggregate to Vietnam.
For the Changsuek, the friendly against India serves as preparation for their AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier against Turkmenistan. Thailand began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in March — a game the island nation 'did not deserve to lose,' according to Manolo Marquez.
The notable names in the Thai squad are captain and midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin, who is the most experienced player with 70 caps, forward Supachai Chaided, Swedish-born defender Elias Dolah, midfielder Ben Davis, who has three goals in just six caps, and Italy-born defender Marco Ballini, with a towering height of two metres.
Among those who ply their trade outside Thailand are midfielder Jaroensak Wonggorn (Cerezo Osaka in the Japanese top tier), midfielder Ekanit Panya (Ehime FC in the Japanese second tier) and defender Elias Dolah (Bali United in the Indonesian top tier). Domestically, BG Pathum United and Muangthong United contribute the most to the Thai squad, with five and four players each, respectively.
Indian winger Lallianzuala Chhangte shared his thoughts on Thailand, which will be a solid test before the Asian Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong.
"We played against Thailand multiple times. They are a good team, a hungry one. They like to make runs behind. They are also a team that want to play with the ball. But again, we are totally focused on ourselves. It's all about executing what we have been doing on the training pitch in the match. And if we can do it, I believe we can win these two matches (against Thailand and Hong Kong)," said the 27-year-old.
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