India’s rookie player Naorem Mahesh Singh was delighted after the team’s 1-0 win against Myanmar in the ongoing Tri-nation tournament. Singh, who replaced the injured Sivasakthi Narayanan in the final XI, was able to impress with his game on his debut.

Furthermore, Mahesh Singh was playing in front of his home crowd at the Khuman Lampak Stadium, Imphal on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old from Manipur said it was a special moment for him to represent the Blue Tigers in front of his home crowd and feels it was one of the best games he played.

“It is very special to represent the nation in front of my hometown. This is one of the best games I have played, and it is very special to play in front of my home crowd,” Naorem Mahesh Singh said.

Meanwhile, India had a lot of chances to take a big lead against Myanmar but could not grab them. It was Anirudh Thapa’s first-half stoppage-time goal that separated the two teams. Thapa also accompanied head coach Igor Stimac in the post-match press conference.

“I am happy to score, but we came here to win, and it is a good start to the campaign. We have played a game together after months, we showed character, and we are happy with the win,” Thapa said.

“The support was amazing, and they came out in full numbers as they acted like the 12th man of the team. Everyone was happy and proud to get the win in front of a fully packed house,” he added when asked about the support from the fans.

Earlier, Stimac had also showered praise on Naorem Mahesh Singh for his impressive performance against Myanmar.

“Mahesh was a big surprise. I saw what he’s capable of in the ISL, but when players come from the ISL to the national team, it’s a different type of pressure. He was brilliant tonight and everything he did was perfect by the book,” Stimac said.

India will next face Kyrgyzstan on 28th March in the ongoing competition.