Farukh Choudhary’s return to the Indian national team after a three-year absence was marked by a goal in a 1-1 draw against Vietnam in an international friendly. The midfielder’s strike in the second half canceled out Vi Hao Bui’s first-half opener for the hosts.
Choudhary, who was sidelined for three years due to a knee injury, expressed his delight at being back in the national team setup. “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.
The last time Choudhary played for India was in October 2021, when he provided an assist in a 1-0 victory over Nepal. He admitted that he was disappointed that India could not find a winning goal against Vietnam. “I’m glad that I could make a difference for the team, but I feel that we could have scored another,” he said.
Despite the draw, head coach Manolo Marquez was positive about his team’s 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,” he said.
Marquez praised the efforts of goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Saandhu and defender Anwar Ali, who played exceptional games in defense. “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.”
Choudhary’s return to the national team is a testament to his hard work and determination. He is now hoping to help India achieve success in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
