Asian Cup qualifiers: It's Sunil and one-nil

India captain Sunil Chettri (left) scores the winner against Kyrgyzstan during the AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifier at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. India won 1-0. Pic/PTI

Captain Sunil Chhetri stamped his class yet again as he scored the match-winner to fire India to a 1-0 win over Kyrgyzstan in a fast-pace and entertaining Asian Cup qualifier here yesterday.

Chhetri drilled a lot shot with his right foot off a fine pass from Jeje Lalpekhlua in the 69th minute to lead India to a crucial win in the home leg tie of the Group A qualifiers of the 2019 Asian Cup.

54th goal for Chhetri
Chhetri, who scored his 54th goal in his 94th match, led from the front throughout the match. Playing behind the lone striker Jeje, he was in the thick of things, at times falling back deep to help the defenders, setting up his teammates and also taking shots on his own.

With the win, India sat atop the group with six points - from two wins - ahead of Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar who both have three points from two matches. Macau are yet to open account from their two matches.

All the four teams will play home and away matches and the two top sides will qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup to be held in United Arab Emirates.

The hosts, who had beaten Myanmar 1-0 in their first match of the qualifiers, notched up their seventh official international match on the trot. The visiting side were denied by the upright in the second half while Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made at least three brilliant saves to ensure that the hosts walked away with all three points.