India outclass Cambodia in football friendly

TIL Desk Sports/ The Indian football team broke a 12-year-old jinx of not winning a match away from home as they beat lower ranked Cambodia 3-2 in an international friendly in Phnom Penh, on Wednesday. Playing in their first international friendly this year, India — currently at 132nd in the FIFA rankings — were given a tough fight by the Cambodians, who are 41 places below them.

The last time India emerged victorious in an away international friendly was way back in June 2005, when the team captained by current team manager Shanmugam Venkatesh eked out a solitary goal win over Pakistan. Stephen Constantine’s boys played a lacklustre first half but they regrouped in the second session to pump in two quick goals in the space of three minutes.

The win will boost the Indian side ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers first leg match against Myanmar on March 28 in Yangon. Sunil Chhetri (35th minute), Jeje Lalpekhlua (49th) and Sandesh Jhingan (52nd) found the target for India while the hosts scored through Khoun Laboravy (36th) and Chan Vathanaka (62nd).