Rennedy’s goal was the only plus for India

Kochi: If the 1-0 win over Singapore managed to generate a feel-good factor in the Indian football camp, it should not exist anymore now.

The positives the Indian chief coach Stephen Constantine had been harping on since his team’s opening of the World Cup Asian Zone group III qualifier on a winning note, suffered a serious as well as demoralising dent in the second match itself on Wednesday when Oman inflicted a 1-5 humiliation on India at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here.

On the match-eve, Constantine sounded a warning to Oman, saying his team “can beat anybody in Asia on a given day”. Well, the gap between his words and his wards’ deeds on the field proved to be too big. And in the end, the only common factor between India’s self-belief after the win over Singapore and their demolition in the hands of the Gulf nation remained Rennedy Singh. The Mohun Bagan captain hit the matchwinner against Singapore and scored the solitary goal for his team on Wednesday.

True, no body has expected India to make any serious headway in the qualifying stage in a group over which Japan — a 2-1 winner over Singapore on Wednesday in another match — loom large.

But as Indian legend P.K. Banerjee pointed out, a win over Oman might not elevate India to a bigger league, but would send a strong message to the rest of Asia.

But it never looked likely to happen on Wednesday once Oman took the lead in the 11th minute through Imad Al-Hosni. India immediately restored parity when captain Bhaichung Bhutia earned a penalty for his team and Rennedy found the target from the spot.

Rennedy’s equaliser, in the 13th minute, acted as a catalyst in Oman’s resurgence as the one and only force in the match. Oman led 2-1 at the halftime thanks to a strike from Ahmed Mubarak in the 25th minute.

In absence of injured Tomba Singh, the Indian midfield failed to control the game and was easily subdued by the tall Omanese players. The change of sides saw Oman firing on all cylinders as the Indian rearguard — manned by M. Suresh, Mahesh Gawli, Deepak Mondal and Debjit Ghosh — struggled to contain the visitors.

Mubarak scored again in the 52nd minute as substitute Mohammed Mubarak put the final nails on the hosts’ coffin with strikes in 59th and 82nd minutes.

In Seoul, South Korea were held to a shock 0-0 draw away from home by the Maldives in a group seven qualifier.