Who is Anirudh Thapa, only the second Indian to score against Uruguay in 44 years?
Anirudh Thapa became the second Indian footballer in 44 years to score against Uruguay during a recent international friendly in Kolkata. Despite India's 6-1 loss, Thapa's goal marked a rare historical milestone for the national team.
Why it matters
The match highlights the disparity between top-tier global football nations and the current state of Indian football, while celebrating individual player achievements.
India may have suffered a heavy 6–1 defeat to Uruguay in Kolkata, but one moment still gave the home crowd something significant to celebrate. Anirudh Thapa's equaliser against the two-time FIFA World Cup champions ended a 44-year wait for an Indian goal against La Celeste, placing the midfielder alongside a player from a very different era of the national team's history.Anirudh Thapa ends India's 44-year wait against UruguayThapa became only the second Indian footballer to score against Uruguay when he reacted quickest to a rebound and turned it into the equaliser during Tuesday's international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium.Uruguay had taken the lead in the 11th minute after Indian defender Pramveer was penalised for a foul inside the area, with former Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez converting the resulting penalty after sending Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the wrong way.India responded just 11 minutes later, with Ryan Williams winning possession in midfield…
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