Three cheers for Chhetri & Co.

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India and Cameroon produced an exhilarating brand of football throughout the regulation and extra-time in the final of the Nehru Cup at the Jawaharlal Stadium here on Sunday night, and fittingly for a final, both teams had to be separated by a penalty shootout. India, playing in front of close to 20,000 vocal spectators, edged out Cameroon 5-4 on penalties, after the teams were tied at 2-2 till extra-time.

Indian goalkeeper Subrata Paul had a chance to repeat the heroics of the 2009 final but that was not required as Cameroon’s Makon Thierry hit the side bar to give the hosts their third successive Nehru Cup title.
Robin Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Denzel Franco, Mehtab Hossain and Clifford Miranda scored for India.
The first half was played on an equal footing. The Indians showed an aggressive instinct and did not allow the Indomitable Lions to play their natural game freely.
However, it were Cameroon who had the first look at the rival goal in the fifth minute.
Defender Abounda Patrick sent a cross from the left flank and Kologny Merime rose unmarked but his header went over the bar. India’s first attempt came expectedly from their skipper Chhetri in the 12th minute with a long ranger but none of his team-mates were present inside the box to materialise it. Chhetri made another run — off a Sanju Pradhan cross — in the very next minute but this time Cameroon’s defence came to their rescue. Against the run of play, Gourmangi Singh (19th minute) rose to a free kick by Miranda and scored his first goal of the tournament to rattle the Lions.
Cameroon upped the pace of their game in search of an equaliser.
And it came 10 minutes later with a superb demonstration of ball control by Makon Thierry, who controlled the ball and then unleashed a powerful right footer to the right corner of India’s goal.
The second half began with a similar script but this time it were the visitors who looked in control. Cameroon took the lead in the 54th minute through Kingue Mpondo, and nearly sealed the match three minutes later when Thierry’s strike missed the goal by inches.
The Lions slowed down the game at this occasion, as India coach Wim Koevermans substituted Robin Singh for Pradhan in an effort to strengthen the forwardline.
The Lions had the game in control till Chhetri’s brilliance earned them a penalty in the 70th minute. The skipper converted from the spot as the game headed for extra time.