India play out goalless draw vs Kuwait in Chhetri's last international match

The talismanic Sunil Chhetri stirred up emotions in his final international outing but the Indian football team just could not rise to the occasion as it settled for a goalless draw against Kuwait in its crucial FIFA World Cup Qualifier match on Thursday critically hurting its chances of going into the next roundIn a country deprived of major footballing success it was not the best farewell for a man who had created an alternative universe for the spectators of the beautiful game in this part of the worldA win would have virtually sealed India five points a World Cup qualifiers third round berth for the first time ever but the draw put them in an extremely difficult situation to do so as they play Asian champions Qatar in their last match on June 11If India fail to beat Qatar then Kuwait currently on four points can make it to the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier if they beat Afghanistan on June 11The 39yearold Chhetri ended his glorious 19year international career as the fourth most prolific scorer in international football with 94 goals behind Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo 128 Iran legend Ali Daei 108 and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi 106Its an astounding feat for a player from a country like India and FIFA had acknowledged Chhetris legendary status when he announced his international retirement on May 16Chhetri bid an emotional adieu to the international game in front of a jampacked 68000capacity Salt Lake Stadium with his parents Kharga and Sushila wife Sonam Bhattacharya and a host of officials and former players in attendanceHe will however continue playing club football for two more years He has a contract with the Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC till next yearChhetri had scored in his debut match against Pakistan on June 12 2005 in Quetta in a 11 draw but not on Thursday though the game ended in a draw this time also He also did not have much to show for in the whole matchAfter his 151st match for the country Chhetri gave a last bow taking a lap of honour of the packed venue with folded hands as chants of Sunil Sunil echoed the standsKuwait looked a much improved side from the last time when they suffered a 01 defeat to India at homeThe firsthalf saw a flurry of activities with both teams creating chances but failing to find the back of the netAlso ReadBhattacharya praises Chhetris decision to retire foresees extended club careerBut the action on the field kept the fans on the edge of their seats as they kept screaming Sunil Sunil Vande MataramKuwaits best chance of the firsthalf came in the fourth minute when Eid AlRashidi threaded a perfect through ball to Daham who surged past Nikhil Poojary Mohammad Dahams effort was denied by a crucial save from the Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh SandhuIn the 11th minute India responded as Liston Colaco surged from the left wing sending in a low cross as all eyes focused on Chhetris 95th goal But Hasan Alanezis sliding clearance thwarted the Indian captains attemptFrom the ensuing corner Anwar Alis header just missed the target much to the crowds anticipationAlRashidi latched onto a chipped pass from AlHarbi but his attempted chip over Gurpreet sailed over the barIn the 25th minute the debutant Jay Gupta was in thick of action Gupta delivered a sublime low cross from the left but the Kuwait defense cleared it for a cornerIndia failed to utilise a freekick in the 28th minute when Poojary showcased his skills with a superb run down the right wing nutmegging a defender before being brought downThapas delivery however didnt yield a goalJust at the halfway mark Thapa sent a fantastic ball into the box which Kuwait could only clear to deny Sahal Abdul Samad His leftfooted shot was blocked and the rebound fell to Liston Colaco who fired a low strike into the side netting from a narrow angleKuwait frustrated by Guptas defensive efforts switched play from the right to the left only for the move to end with the ball going out of playIgor Stimac made a bold move by shuffling their attacking lineup introducing Rahim Ali up front with Brandon Fernandes and Chheri behind himBut it failed to yield the desired result as he failed to convert his chancesIn the 47th minute Faisal AlHarbi tested Gurpreet with a low volley but Indias custodian stood firmA minute later Rahim found himself oneonone with the Kuwait keeper Sulaiman Abdulghafor but couldnt convertDespite Indias openness at the back Gurpreets brilliance denied Kuwaits Rashidi just moments laterAs India asserted dominance Kuwaits frustration peaked in the 74th minute with a denied penalty claim incensing players and bench alikeReplays suggested a foul but the Chinese referee Fu Ming deemed otherwiseTempers flared up to a minibrawl after a challenge on Indian debutant Edmund leading to a confrontation between him and Sultan Alenezi both receiving yellow cardsAmid the tension Edmund rallied the crowds support with a freekick opportunity but Brandon Fernandes atrocious delivery meant Indias last hope for a win went up in smoke in the added seven minutesStimac handed leftback Gupta international debut in his 4231 formation with Chhetri the sole striker up frontIt was only months back Gupta made his league debut for FC Goa in the top tier Indian Super LeagueWith agency inputs