India – 2 (Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalianzuala Chhangte)
Mongolia – 0
Xtra Time Web Desk: India started their campaign in the Intercontinental Cup 2023 with a victory. Ranked 183rd by FIFA, India defeated Mongolia 2-0. India dominated the match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and easily secured the win.
India scored a goal within the first two minutes. Anirudh Thapa’s cross was not held by Mongolia’s goalkeeper Enkhtaivan, and Sahal Abdul Samad scored from the rebound. India continued their attacking play after that.
In the 13th minute, the Blue Tigers scored their second goal. Despite Jingan’s blocked header from a corner, Mongolia’s defenders failed to clear the ball, and Lalianzuala Chhangte scored in the ensuing scramble.
India maintained their attacking momentum thereafter. However, the pace of the game and intensity somewhat diminished due to the intense heat. In the second half, Naorem Mahesh came in as a substitute and created some opportunities, but they couldn’t be capitalized on.
In the 83rd minute, India came close to scoring three goals. Thapa’s cross found Rohit Kumar, whose header hit the post. In the end, India secured the victory.