Rahim Ali helps 10-man India escape with a point

India salvaged a 1-1 draw against Singapore in the Asian Cup qualifiers, with Rahim Ali scoring after Sandesh Jhingan's red card left them with 10 men.

Kolkata: Rahim Ali being alert with stoppage-time beckoning and the journey in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers looking like a walk through quicksand was the only highlight of India’s frontline play in Singapore on Thursday. One that fetched a point which looked improbable for most of the evening after Sandesh Jhingan’s red card had left India with 10 from the 47th minute.

Indian football team. (AIFF)

A clearer indication whether Ali’s first international goal in the 1-1 draw is the 90th minute stroke of luck India need to revive their campaign for Saudi Arabia may come five days from now when the teams meet in Goa. “The result gives us belief and now we play at home,” said India head coach Khalid Jamil.

Jordan Emaviwe’s backpass to goalie Izwan Mahbud was slower than it should have been and realising this, Ali gambled. Playing on the shoulder of Safuwan Baharuddin, the forward from Bengal sped past the defender and tapped home as the ball careened off Mahbud. “If you work hard, you can get lucky. Rahim tried and so he scored,” said Jamil. “They didn’t give up,” said Gavin Lee, the Singapore coach.

For the second time at Singapore’s National Stadium, the ball had rolled into an empty goal. It was less of an anti-climax the first time it happened, in 45+1. Singapore had been trying to go long from the start. Rahul Bheke had to use his upper body to keep out Harhys Stewart and twice Muhammed Uvais had successfully shielded Shahwal Anuar. Till he couldn’t.

Skipper Hariss Harun didn’t play it wide like Singapore had earlier. Uvais thought Anuar would again try to cross and moved out. It was just the space Anuar needed to drive in. He got to the ball before Gurpreet Singh Sandhu or Anwar Ali. Anuar’s touch was heavy but Ikhsan Fandi stabbed home before Jhingan could clear.

By then, Jhingan was on a booking for a needless foul on Fandi. A goal down, two minutes into India’s most important 45 minutes of the campaign they were a player down. Jhingan’s raised arm on Fandi as the crafty forward tried to break fetched a second booking leaving India to play with 10 for nearly 50 minutes including added time.

“We worked very hard with 10,” said Jamil. The expulsion had forced him to sacrifice Farukh Choudhary for full back Hmingthanmawia as Bheke resumed his partnership in central defence with Anwar Ali. Like in the CAFA Nations Cup, they were excellent, India’s best players on the pitch.

Singapore, Lee said, couldn’t take the advantage of having an extra player. They couldn’t take their chances as well and hav lost the top spot in the group after Hong Kong beat Bangladesh in a goal fest that ended 4-3. Bheke denied Anuar in the 64th minute after Singapore had slickly worked the ball from the right and in the 72nd minute, Sandhu needed to be the biggest version of himself to stop Ilhan Fandi twice. A couple of crucial interceptions from Anwar Ali then ensured that his under-17 teammate’s strike would not go in vain.

It was not surprising that Jamil’s India would end with 37% possession, sacrificing the press for defensive shape. Maybe, it was also not surprising that they could do little with the ball barring a Bheke’s glance of a header to a Liston Colaco free-kick.

India’s inability to find Sunil Chhetri meant the talisman’s biggest contribution was clearing corner-kicks twice in the first half. Colaco running into traffic, flailing his arms in frustration; Uvais delaying a delivery and being caught off-side; balls behind the defence being too fast for runners encapsulated how disjointed India were in search of a goal.

Colaco generally finished second-best in physical duels with Singapore right-back Ryhan Stewart and India failed to involve Lallianzuala Chhangte, or substitutes Udanta Singh and Sahal Abdul Samad, as often as they would have liked. Not unusual for a country whose league is still months from starting.