{"id":28754,"date":"2026-09-25T17:37:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=28754"},"modified":"2026-09-25T17:37:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:37:45","slug":"india-impress-against-panama-in-1-1-draw-as-blue-tigers-stand-firm-against-world-cup-side-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=28754","title":{"rendered":"India impress against Panama in 1-1 draw as Blue Tigers stand firm against World Cup side | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134490096,imgsize-108204,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/india-vs-panama.jpg\" alt=\"India impress against Panama in 1-1 draw as Blue Tigers stand firm against World Cup side\" title=\"India hold World Cup-bound Panama to 1-1 draw in major test for Khalid Jamil\u2019s side\/ Image: X\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"India hold World Cup-bound Panama to 1-1 draw in major test for Khalid Jamil\u2019s side\/ Image: X\">India hold World Cup-bound Panama to 1-1 draw in major test for Khalid Jamil\u2019s side\/ Image: X<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>India had to surrender a first-half lead, but the Blue Tigers came away from Bengaluru with plenty to take from a 1-1 draw against Panama, a side ranked 94 places above them in the FIFA rankings and featuring several players from the country\u2019s recent World Cup campaign.<!-- --> Ryan Williams put India ahead shortly before half-time, only for Omar Valencia to level with a long-range strike in the second half, leaving Khalid Jamil\u2019s side with an encouraging result against the world No. 44 team.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Williams rewards India&#8217;s positive first half<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>Panama enjoyed more possession during the opening stages, but India stayed compact and looked increasingly dangerous when they broke forward, showing little sign of being overawed by opponents who had competed at the FIFA World Cup only a few months earlier.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/>India created their first clear opening in the eighth minute when Akash Mishra\u2019s cut-back found Williams inside the penalty area, although the forward could not get his shot away. Williams went close again 10 minutes later when he dragged an effort narrowly wide, while Ashique Kuruniyan then found the side-netting as India continued to threaten.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>The pressure finally produced a breakthrough in the 41st minute. Akash sent a long ball forward, Williams timed his run perfectly to get behind the Panama defence and then kept his composure to beat goalkeeper Marcos Reyes, giving India a 1-0 lead four minutes before the interval.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>It was a significant moment for a team ranked 138th in the world and playing in Bengaluru for the first time since winning the SAFF Championship at the same stadium in 2023.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Panama respond, but India withstand the pressure<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Panama came out with greater urgency after the restart and quickly began testing the Indian defence. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was equal to the first major threat, producing a save to deny Giovany Herbert five minutes into the second half.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>The visitors eventually found their equaliser in the 68th minute, when Valencia struck from outside the box to make it 1-1 and give Panama a platform from which to search for a winner.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>India still had opportunities to reclaim the lead. Ashique sent a low cross into the box in the 79th minute, but Edmund Lalrindika was unable to make proper contact. Two minutes later, Edmund worked his way in from the right and set up Manvir Singh, who attempted to finish with a backheel rather than taking the simpler option and missed the chance.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>Panama then pushed forward in search of a decisive goal, striking the woodwork and forcing Gurpreet into another important save. <!-- -->Carlos Harvey, one of the visitors\u2019 World Cup players, also tested the Indian goalkeeper, but India managed to survive the late pressure.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Manvir came close again late in the match after being played in by substitute Edmund, while Abhishek Singh Tekcham fired off target following a corner as India continued to carry a threat of their own.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>India now turn to Brazil and Uruguay<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>The 1-1 draw gives Jamil\u2019s team an important result before a far more demanding sequence of friendlies. <!-- -->India will face five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata on October 3 before meeting two-time world champions Uruguay at the same venue three days later.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>For India, the significance of Friday\u2019s result lies not simply in avoiding defeat against Panama, but in the way the Blue Tigers competed against a side ranked 44th in the world. Williams\u2019 first-half finish gave them a lead to protect, Panama eventually found a way through, and India still created enough opportunities afterwards to believe they could have taken all three points.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>The next two fixtures will provide a considerably tougher test, but the performance in Bengaluru has given Jamil\u2019s side something substantial to carry into them.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/football\/top-stories\/india-impress-against-panama-in-1-1-draw-as-blue-tigers-stand-firm-against-world-cup-side\/articleshow\/134489862.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India hold World Cup-bound Panama to 1-1 draw in major test for Khalid Jamil\u2019s side\/ Image: X India had to surrender a first-half lead, but the Blue Tigers came away from Bengaluru with plenty to take from a 1-1 draw against Panama, a side ranked 94 places above them in the FIFA rankings and featuring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/india-vs-panama.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"India hold World Cup-bound Panama to 1-1 draw in major test for Khalid Jamil\u2019s side\/ Image: X India had to surrender a first-half lead, but the Blue Tigers came away from Bengaluru with plenty to take from a 1-1 draw against Panama, a side ranked 94 places above them in the FIFA rankings and featuring [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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