The Indian national team has won the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 first leg match against Nepal today.

The new-look Indian team under new coach Stephen Constantine had its first attempt of the game in 11th minute when Sunil Chhetri set up his striking partner Robin Singh for a shot on target. But Nepal goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong had no difficulties to save the shot by Robin.

Nepal had their first dangerous moment in the box in the 25th minute when Bharat Khawas delivered a perfect through ball to Bimal Gharti Magar. The youngster was denied a shot on target by an on alert Subrata Pal.

Robin Singh had two chances to give India the lead at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Guwahati, but his efforts in the 32nd and 34th minute missed the target.

India created a few more promising attempts on the Neaplese goal in the later stages of the first half with Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh being on fire upfront. But both sides were locked goalless at the half-time break.

India finally broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when vice-captain Sunil Chhetri found the back of the net with a powerful left-footer.

Substitute Jackichand Singh put the ball into the Nepalese goal to the delight of the Indian fans, but the referee disallowed the goal due to an offside position.

The home fans didn’t wait for to long to celebrate the second goal of the match in the 71st minute when Sunil fired home a shot from the edge of the area to make it 2-0 for Team India.

Sunil missed a chance to record a hat-trick as the Bengaluru FC striker missed a penalty kick in the 82nd minute.

India claimed a vital 2-0 win and now travel to Kathmandu for the return leg on March 17.

Please scroll down for the detailed AIFF Match Report.

2018 FIFA World Cup & 2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 | First Leg
at Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, Guwahati, India

INDIA 2-0 NEPAL

GOALS
1-0 Sunil Chhetri (53′)
2-0 Sunil Chhetri (71′)

LINE-UPS

India
1 Subrata Pal [C] – 13 Pritam Kotal, 17 Sandesh Jhingan, 4 Arnab Mondal, 36 Saumik Dey – 10 Francis Fernandes, 6 Lenny Rodrigues (74′ 32 Cavin Lobo), 27 Eugeneson Lyngdoh, 20 Lalrindika Ralte (61′ 45 Jackichand Singh) – 11 Sunil Chhetri, 9 Robin Singh (90′ + 2′ 46 Holicharan Narzary)

Unused Subs
25 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, 43 Arindam Bhattacharya; 12 Alwyn George, 14 Aiborlang Khongjee, 21 Keegan Pereira, 29 Jeje Lalpekhlua, 39 Prabir Das, 47 Dhanapal Ganesh, 48 Augstine Fernandes

Nepal
16 Kiran Chemjong – 19 Sagar Thapa [C], 13 Sandip Rai, 2 Rabin Shrestha, 3 Biraj Maharjan, 12 Bikram Lama – 6 Rohit Chand, 23 Jagjeet Shrestha (63′ 22 Anjan Bista), 17 Bhola Silwal – 7 Bimal Gharti Magar, 21 Bharat Khawas (87′ 9 Santosh Sahukhala)

Unused Subs
1 Ritesh Thapa, 20 Bikesh Kuthu; 4 Dinesh Rajbanshi, 5 Ananta Tamang, 8 Bishal Rai B, 10 Anil Gurung, 11 Jumanu Rai, 14 Heman Gurung, 18 Ranjit Dhimal

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee
Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)

Assistant Referees
Mamur Saidkasimov (Uzbekistan), Alisher Usmanov (Uzbekistan)

Fourth Official
Sherzod Kasimov (Uzbekistan)

Match Commissioner
Talal Alswailmyeen (Jordan)

BOOKINGS

Yellow Cards
6′ Pritam Kotal (India)
7′ Sagar Thapa (Nepal)
57′ Saumik Dey (India)
77′ Sandip Rai (Nepal)

Yellow-Red Cards
none

Red Cards
none

AIFF Match Report

As it kicked-off, it was time to refer to the history books. When have four debutants made their debut for India in the same match, that too in the Starting XI? And mind you, three of them were defenders!

It was about being brave as a Coach; it was about being able to bring a new feel and it was about being able to make people accountable. The number grew to five and then seix and eventually seven as the match progressed. It was a new India on the field.

The new blood, hungry and full of ‘character’ dominated and scored to win 2-0 against Nepal in the World Cup Qualifiers Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Sajusarai, Guwahati.

Both the goals came from Sunil Chhetri, the first off his left foot to the left corner of the rival Goalkeeper Limbu Kumar and the second off his right foot to the right corner of Limbu. And had not an acrobatic Limbu thwarted Chhetri off the spot, and had ot Jackichand Singh’s goal been disallowed, it could have been much worse for Nepal.

The penalty was awarded after Cavin Lobo was brought down in the box by Sandip Rai.

The buildup to the first goal was all about ‘character’ and a triangle. Not willing ever to give that that extra inch, the tireless Lenny Rodrigues pressed, snatched as the triangle of Lenny-Robin-Sunil hoodwinked Nepal defence. And the move got what it deserved – a perfect finish from Chhetri.

The second was equally better. Debutant Jacikichand Singh, unselfish, held on allowing Sunil to make the off the ball and once it came to his feet, he dug it deep.

After a slow start from India, the second half was just, perhaps, Xerox-ed on the field from the drawing board. National Coach Stephen Constantine was pleased as punch as his sessions bore fruit.

The counter attacks were initiated in a flash, there was speed in the legs as much it was in the lungs. It was hard to name an individual as it was all about the Team.

India, however, were not off to the best of starts. Though it seemed inevitable that the combination would strike the chord soonest, it took a bit of time to actually come into play. And once it did after the first 25 minutes, Stephen Constantine’s India just ran away with it.

India first had a shy at the rival goal in the 1th minute when an one-two between Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh opened up the rival defence but Robin’s shot couldn’t trouble Nepal Goalkeeper Limbu Kiran.

Robin was again in the thick of action in the 34th and the 35th minutes respectively. On the first occasion, he latched on to a ball played just behind the defence but his rasping left footer went agonisingly over.

The very next minute, Lalrindika Ralte’s perfectly essayed floater found Robin in the clear and even as on onrushing Limbu tried to narrow the angle, Robin’s placement just went wide.

The Sunil-Robin combine was slowly starting to bloom by then. In the 41st minute, Sunil collected, shielded and found Robin but only for the latter’s shot to be deflected for a corner off which Arnab Mondal’s header sailed over.

However, the best chance of the first half-time went abegging at the stroke of half-time. Chhetri, blessed with that split extra second with the ball found an overlapping Francis and even as livewire played an one-two with Robin to get himself all in the clear, Limbu managed to save his placement from pointblank range.

The last 15 minutes of the first half promised much for the second half and changing over, India began form where they had left.

The first corner came in the 47th minute but Limbu managed to palm it away even as Robin tried to pounce on Francis’ curler.

The Indians started winning all the ‘second balls’ thus frustrating the rivals and initiating more. In the 52rd minute Nepal survived when Chhetri’s volley from the top of the box got stuck in between an out of position Limbu’s legs.

Thereafter, it was all one-way traffic. The quick interchanging, speedy counters and pressing proved too hot for Nepal. The best way was to sit back, relax and watch. It was Football at its best.