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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 7
City boys Sumeet Passi and Sandesh Jhingan scored a goal each to help India rout Laos 6-1 and seal a berth in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup football qualifiers in Guwahati today.
Another city lad, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was good in front of the goal post eventhough he conceded in the 16th minute of the game, the only blemish in India’s victory march.
The lanky youngster, who became the first Indian player to be a part of the European top league recently, raised his game after the initial strike by Laos and stopped every shot that came his way.
Passi, playing in his second international match, helped the team take the lead after Jeje Lalpekhlua drew level in the 42nd minute.
The youngster sent the ball into the empty net off a low cross from Jackichand from the left to score his first international goal in the 45th minute.
Sandesh Jhingan made the doubled the city's joy after his header beat the Laos defenders and the goalkeeper all ends up and gave India 3-1 lead.
Mohammad Rafique (83rd) and debutant Fulganco Cardozo (87th) were other goal scorers for India.
Coach Stephen Constantine applauded the character showed by his boys, even after conceding an early goal. “The order in which we won the match says a great deal about our character. We kept our heads high and fought for every inch. I am happy that Laos scored early on in the match as it gave us time to recover and stage a comeback,” he said after the match.
“The way we started the game I did not expect to win by five goals,” he said.
“My objective was to get us to the qualifiers of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and that I have done. We got the result that we wanted and the goal difference over the course of two legs will certainly help us in the FIFA rankings,” he added.
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