India lets Panama off the hook in a draw

The Indian football team was on the brink of pulling off a mighty upset. That was until a thunderous strike brought the home side back to earth.

Taking on significantly higher-ranked Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in an international friendly here on Friday, India looked on course for a memorable victory after Ryan Williams gave it a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute.

There was a sense of disbelief, mixed with elation, as India continued to dominate. Panama, boasting World Cup pedigree, looked completely

out of sorts. It was left to Panama substitute Omar Valencia to pull the visitor out of the hole. Against the run of play, Valencia unleashed fierce a left-footed strike from well outside the box, leaving custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stranded.