Farukh Choudhary’s return to the Indian national team was a highlight of the 1-1 draw against Vietnam in an international friendly. The midfielder, who had been sidelined for three years due to a knee injury, scored a crucial goal in the second half to level the score after Vietnam took the lead in the 38th minute.
Choudhary’s return was a testament to his dedication and hard work. “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 said.
While happy with his performance, Farukh believes India could have secured a win. “I’m glad that I could make a difference for the team, but I feel that we could have scored another,” he added.
Head coach Manolo Marquez echoed this sentiment, praising the team’s second-half performance. “In the first half, it was practically all Vietnam. Then we discussed at half time how we have enough quality to play, and finally, we started executing our plans in the second,” said Marquez. “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.”
Despite the draw, the match provided a positive sign for the Indian team. The second-half performance demonstrated their resilience and ability to mount a comeback. The team will now focus on building upon this positive performance as they continue their journey under Marquez’s leadership.
