New Delhi: India’s struggles against lower-ranked FIFA teams have been a recurring theme in 2024, and their international friendly against Malaysia was no exception. Facing a side ranked 133rd, eight places below them, India settled for a 1-1 draw at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Monday.
After trailing by a goal from Paulo Josue in the 19th minute, the hosts responded with determination, as Rahul Bheke scored the equalizer with a header 20 minutes later.
The draw nearly guaranteed India’s spot in Pot 1 for the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with the official rankings set to be released in 10 days.
Malaysia, coming off a 3-1 victory over Laos in their previous match, started the game aggressively with a counterattacking 4-3-3 formation. They had their first shot just 14 seconds into the game, but Sergio Aguero’s effort sailed over the net.
The visitors kept pressing in and around the six-yard box, with Anwar Ali blocking Aguero’s shot in the 18th minute, followed by Josue firing a shot wide just a minute later.
Josue, a naturalized Brazil-born player, seized a second opportunity moments later when Gurpreet Singh Sandhu misjudged an intended clearance, allowing the ball to bounce over his head. As the goalkeeper scrambled to recover, Josue calmly slotted the ball into an empty net, silencing the Indian crowd.
Chants echoed from the vastly outnumbered away fans, waving flags and scarves of Harimau Malaya. Meanwhile, a shell-shocked Manolo Marquez, standing with his hands behind his back like a headmaster, demanded an immediate response from his team.
In just 20 minutes, India struck back. Brandon Fernandes delivered a corner from the left, and Rahul Bheke’s header found the net, sparking relief and joy among the 15,000-strong crowd at the stadium.
Marquez sought to energize the game by making key substitutions, bringing on Lallianzuala Chhangte, Farukh, and Yadwad for Manvir Singh, Edmund Lalrindika, and Jithin MS. However, Malaysia held firm with solid marking, ensuring the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
However, the Indian team will need to reflect deeply on whether it’s time to find a replacement for their longest-serving goalkeeper of the past decade. In their previous match against Vietnam, it was Gurpreet’s own goal that set the tone, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
