Striker Jeje Lalpekhlua netted the winner as India beat Laos by a solitary goal in a play-off match, to put itself in a strong position to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, here on Thursday.
Jeje found the target in the 56th minute from a Udanta Singh assist as a dominant India carved out a win away from home in a long time at the New Laos National Stadium. India had recorded its last away win in 2013 during the 10th SAFF Championships in Nepal.
The Stephen Constantine-coached side will now go into the June 7 home tie in Guwahati in an advantageous position.
India had won just one match in eight outings in the joint 2019 Asian Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and that left it to feature in these play-off matches to earn the right to play in the qualifying round of the continent’s flagship football tournament.
It will also be a relief for Englishman Constantine whose future has been under the scanner after a series of poor shows by the National team under his charge.
India, ranked 163rd in the FIFA charts, did most of the attacking against the 174th-ranked home side, which had to constantly defend its citadel and rely on occasional counter-attacks. But with central defender Sandhesh Jhingan marshalling the back four admirably well, Laos’s chances were few and far between.
On the other hand, Indian frontmen Sunil Chhteri, Jeje, Udanta Singh and Holicharan Nazary got space to mount several attacks on the Laos goal as the midfield livewire Eugenson Lyngdoh was able to feed them constantly.
The initial phase saw captain Chhetri and Jeje trying to breach the rival defence with some neat work with Udanta and Holicharan breaking into the Laos box from both the flanks.
India earned a couple of free-kicks early on and from one such set-piece, defender Rino Anto took a shot at the goal but it got deflected from a defender's leg.
The visiting side got the best chance of the opening half in the 42nd minute when Lyngdoh was released into the Laos box by Chhetri but the India midfielder shot over the bar from close.
After the break, Constantine brought in Seityasen Singh in place of Holicharan as India continued to pile on the pressure. The Laos citadel fell finally in the 56th minute with Jeje nodding the ball into the net from a fine Udanta cross from the right.
The result:
Laos 0 lost to India 1 (Jeje Lalpekhlua 56).
