Sunil Chhetri led India beat Macau 4-1 to seal a spot in the 2019 AFC Aisan Cup. It was their fourth successive win in as many matches (Group A) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru as they scripted hosts’ 2nd qualification to the showpiece event in last 8 years, and 4th overall.
India had last qualified to the AFC Asian Cup in Doha in 2011.
The first goal came in the 28th minute. Off a build-up down the left, Rowllin Borges after receiving the ball from Jeje Lalpekhlua preferred to turn and his right-footer hit rival captain Cheang Cheng and went in.
The second goal came as a relief for most of the fans, and it came in the 60th minute. The triangle of Jeje, Balwant Singh and Sunil Chhetri did the trick. Jeje essayed it to Balwant in vacant space who sped past his marker and laid it for Chhetri at the other end to tap it in.
The path to the qualification to Asian Cup UAE 2019 became all the more broader when in the 70th minute a Halicharan shot deflected off a defender and rolled over the head of Man Fai. Jeje added more gloss to the scoreline in added extra time (90+2′) to score India’s fourth goal and complete mission Macau.