India put up a tepid performance to play out a goalless draw against 174-ranked Mauritius in the first match of the 2024 Intercontinental Cup at the Maidaan in Gachibowli, Hyderabad on Tuesday, September 3.
The Blue Tigers seemed to do well in patches, but they fell short of delivering a good final ball that could pierce the Mauritian defence and change the direction in which the game was flowing.
Inside their own half, however, India seemed to be solid in comparison to what was taking place in front of them, with the centre-back duo of Chinglensana Singh and Rahul Bheke impressing.
Sana, in particular, was brilliant with the ball at his feet, and was often seen recovering it when India’s fullbacks were put under pressure by the wingers of the visitors. The 27-year-old’s composed nature helped him out in a lot of one-on-one situations.
Fullback Jay Gupta, who was playing beside Sana on the left-hand side of India’s defence, seemed to be wary of the challenges he was making to the Mauritian attackers, and in turn, appeared to be dominated over rather easily.
The Bengaluru FC star, however, did his job quietly to make Gupta feel at ease and even recycled balls forward to help in the transition from defence towards India’s attacking-minded players.
He even came close to getting on the scoresheet himself in the 6th minute of the game. Rising high to meet a floated corner ball from Anirudh Thapa, Sana headed it firmly towards goal, but unfortunately, it did not go in.
This game was extremely special for the Churachandpur, Manipur-born defender, as IFTWC found out when catching up with him a day after the match for an exclusive interaction.
“Coming back to Hyderabad felt like coming back home. I have had so many good memories in this stadium with an amazing group of players, coaches & staff. So it was quite a nostalgic moment when the match kicked off.”
“The fans – especially Deccan Legion – who supported me and the club during my time here, turned up in huge numbers, and this gave the entire Indian team the push and motivation to do well,” Sana told IFTWC in an exclusive interaction.
Chinglensana Singh moved to Bengaluru FC from Hyderabad in the 2023-24 winter transfer window
Having been a vital part of Hyderabad FC for three seasons, Sana terminated his contract with the club and moved to rivals Bengaluru FC in the 2023-24 winter transfer window due to long-term non-payment of wages.
He won the ISL Cup with Hyderabad in 2021-22, and formed critical partnerships in the back with the likes of Juanan that season and Odei Onaindia a year later, in which Hyderabad ended up being second in the league.
When asked to elaborate on the understanding that he shares with Rahul Bheke – who played as a centre-half against Mauritius and was even named India’s captain – Sana was effusive in his praise for the former Mumbai City fullback.
Bheke and Sana play for Bengaluru FC at the moment, and are expected to form a long-lasting partnership in the heart of the Blues’ defence in the upcoming ISL season; this was also the reason why the two gelled so well together on Tuesday.
“Rahul Bheke and I play for the same club and we train together each day. So, quite naturally, this helps us understand each other better in a lot of situations. But yes, we will continue learning & keep working hard and keep improving,” said Sana.
Chinglensana Singh shares a fond relationship with head coach Manolo Marquez
Manolo Marquez’s first game as the head coach of the Indian national team might have ended differently had the Blue Tigers been able to get on the scorecard. However, keeping a clean sheet would have pleased the tactician a lot.
Sana, who played for three seasons under Marquez in Hyderabad, knows extremely well what the Catalan demands of his players, and what kind of tactics are used the most, both while attacking and defending.
Having been out of the Indian team since the riots in Manipur caused him to withdraw from the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship last year, it was clearly an emotional moment for Sana to make a comeback into the national side on Tuesday, that too under the tutelage of Marquez.
“It feels amazing, really, to play under coach Manolo yet again. He is a coach under whom I’ve improved – both as a player and as a person – from our days together at Hyderabad FC. I made my debut in the Indian national team debut after a good ISL season under him, and now it felt like a debut again to play for India with him as the head coach! “
“It’s been an extraordinary journey so far for me and it will only get better as we keep improving as a team, and try to deliver results consistently,” he signed off.
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