Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez commended Farukh Choudhary’s performance, who scored the equalizer while playing out a 1-1 draw against Vietnam in a one-off friendly at the Thiên Trường Stadium in Nam Định, Vietnam, on Saturday.

Despite conceding a first-half goal, Manolo Marquez’s men displayed a gritty performance throughout the game, thwarting Vietnam’s offensive moves. Captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved a penalty kick in the 27th minute while Anwar Ali cleared the ball from the goal line, denying the opponent from doubling the lead.

“In the first half, it was practically all Vietnam. Then we discussed at halftime how we have enough quality to play, and finally, we started executing our plans in the second,” Márquez said after the match, sharing his assessment of the game.

Buoyed by the home support, Vietnam created a couple of chances in the second half, looking forward to taking the lead. However, Sandhu stood strong between the sticks, showcasing a stellar performance as he made successive saves to keep the Blue Tigers alive in the game.

“Sure, Vietnam could have scored in the last minutes when we were tired, but we could have scored too with our last chance. But overall, I am satisfied with this. It was a friendly game, after all,” Márquez explained.

Choudhary, who returned to the first eleven after a three-year gap, not only registered a goal on his return but also scored the first goal in the Manolo Marquez era. While praising his forward’s performance, the head coach remarked,

"I think he (Farukh Choudhary) had a good game. He did what we expected him to do. It wasn't pre-planned to take him off at 70 minutes, but his contribution was important.”

I’m glad that I could make a difference: Farukh Choudhary

The Chennaiyin FC forward shared his delight in finding the back of the net against Vietnam, guiding the Blue Tigers to salvage a draw against the hosts. Sharing his post-match thoughts, Choudhary said,

“I’m glad that I could make a difference for the team, but I feel that we could have scored another.”

“But everyone played well together as a team. Gurpreet (Singh Sandhu) and Anwar (Ali) also had exceptional games in defense, which is why we got this score,” he continued, highlighting their overall team performance.

The 27-year-old forward, who last featured for India in October 2021, marked his return to the national team and found his name on the scoresheet by chipping the ball on the volley over the opponent goalie to bring the Blue Tigers back in the game.

Speaking in context, Choudhary said,

“Personally, I feel great. I’ve not been a part of the national team for a long time, but this is where I wanted to be.”

“I worked hard at my clubs, and I knew in my heart that I deserved to be here,” he concluded.