Akhil Rawat
AIFF Media Team

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN: For Shami Singamayum, there was no elaborate celebration after his 86th-minute goal against Syria. There was barely even time to process what had just happened.

The India U20 midfielder had just scored the decisive goal to give the Blue Colts a 1-0 victory in their opening AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Group B fixture. For a fleeting couple of seconds, Shami erupted in an outpouring of emotion before suddenly going still, seemingly overwhelmed by the significance of the moment. His teammates soon rushed towards him and buried him beneath a wave of celebrations.

“I was very happy, but I cannot explain the feeling. That is why I could not really celebrate. I almost cried. Scoring for India, representing my country and knowing that the goal helped us win the match was a very special feeling. I was proud of myself, but more importantly, I was proud of my teammates because we all worked very hard for this result,” Shami told the-aiff.com after the match.

The significance of Shami's goal can be understood through the story of the match till the 86th minute. Syria created more attacking chances, but the Blue Colts remained organised and resilient throughout the match, with goalkeeper Suraj Singh Aheibam making some important saves to keep the game level. Ultimately, Mahesh Gawali's boys took that one chance which handed them all three points.

“The first half was tough. Even the pitch was not helping us, and we slipped a couple of times. But we came out rejuvenated in the second half. We stayed together and kept believing that we could get all three points from the game,” said the 19-year-old.

The winning move came after a triple substitution in the 79th minute changed the complexion of the contest. Seven minutes later, Shami played the initial ball into the space behind the Syrian defence. Md Arbash cut it back into Shami's path, allowing him to finish calmly with his left foot.

There was also a degree of anticipation behind the decisive moment.

“I knew that Arbash would make the cut-back, so I called him. I called him ‘Enao!’, which means brother in Manipuri. He passed it to me, and then I scored. It was a great moment for both of us. God's plan,” he said.

The celebration that followed was almost as memorable as the goal itself. After the group hug, captain Sumit Sharma Brahmacharimayum eventually persuaded the goalscorer to pose for a photograph with his teammates near the corner where the team photographer was seated. Malemngamba Singh Thokchom and Rishikanta Meitei Laishram soon joined Shami.

The victory gives India three important points at the start of a qualifying campaign in which every result could prove decisive. But Shami knows there is little time to dwell on the opening victory, with hosts Uzbekistan awaiting them on September 3, followed by Bangladesh on September 6.

“Now we have won our first match, but our focus is already on the next one. Uzbekistan are a very tough opponent, especially here in Tashkent. We will prepare well, stay focused and try our best again."