The 138-ranked Indian football team put up a spirited display as they held World No. 44 Panama to a 1-1 draw in the first-ever clash between the two sides on Friday (September 26) at the iconic Kanterveera Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ryan Williams was the star of the show for the Blue Tigers, while Omar Valencia scored for the North Americans.
Williams scored for the World No. 138 team in the 41st minute after Akash Mishra’s long pass found his run. The former Australian footballer found himself clear on goal and made no mistakes as he slotted it past the goalkeeper with ease.
However, Omar Valencia produced a goal of the highest quality to equalise for the North Americans in the 68th minute. The New York Red Bulls defenders struck a powerful effort from outside the box, which Gurpreet Singh Sandhu could not do much about as the strike came as a bolt from the blue.
Even after conceding, India maintained their intensity and had three clear-cut chances to score, with Manvir (twice) and Edmund failing to find the back of the net from golden chances before the full-time whistle.
Full Time Stats – India vs Panama
Possession: India 47% | Panama 53%
Shots: India 9 | Panama 12
Shots on Target: India 1 | Panama 4
Chances Created: India 8 | Panama 9
Passes: India 526 | Panama 588
Corners: India 4 | Panama 7
Fouls: India 4 | Panama 5
India Set For Big Games Against Brazil, Uruguay
India will now fly to Kolkata, where they will face even tougher tests as they face five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 at the Salt Lake Stadium. This will also be the first-ever team battle between the two sides.Three days later (October 3), the Blue Tigers will face South American Giants Uruguay at the same venue.