Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen also said that he wasn’t surprised with the way the Blue Tigers operated throughout the match
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File photo of Thomas Christiansen(Credits: X)
Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen praised the Indian football team after his side was held to a 1-1 draw in the international friendly at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
India took the lead through Ryan Williams shortly before half-time before Omar Valencia equalised for Panama in the second halfDespite Panama having more possession for large parts of the game, India created chances and stayed in the contest until the final whistle.
Christiansen admitted that Panama had travelled to India looking for a win but felt India deserved the result after their performance.
“Well, first, my thought is that we should have done moreWe came here for the winWe did not achieve thatI need to say congratulations to IndiaThey made a very good game, a serious gameThey gave their all on the pitch, and I think they deserve that point,” Christiansen said after the match.
The Panama coach also said he was not surprised by India’s performanceHe pointed out that teams can cause problems when given time and space, while again congratulating the hosts for their display.
The result was a good test for India, who are ranked well below Panama and faced a team that had featured at the 2026 FIFA World CupRyan Williams put India ahead in the 41st minute after a quick move involving Akash Mishra and Bijoy VergheseWilliams finished the chance with a left-footed effort to give India a 1-0 lead.
“If you give them space and time, they can do whatever they want because they have some very good-quality playersI wasn’t surprised by India’s performanceI expected thisRyan was one player we had to keep an eye on and he did well, so I congratulated him after the matchCongrats to India, they gave it all on the pitch and deserved the point,” Thomas Christiansen concluded.
Panama made changes after the break and improved as the game went onValencia then produced a powerful long-range strike in the 68th minute to bring the visitors level.
The Panama coach had also made it clear before the match that the game would give younger players an opportunity as the team began a new phase after the World CupFive players made their senior international debuts against India.
