India held to 1-1 draw by Panama at Sree Kanteerava in friendly on Sept. 28, 2026
India drew 1-1 with Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on 28 September 2026 as the national team opened their series of international friendlies. Ryan Williams put India ahead in the 41st minute and Omar Valencia levelled for Panama with a strike in the 68th minute; roughly 9,000 supporters gave the Indian players a standing ovation at full-time.
The opener arrived when Akash Mishra’s long pass found Bengaluru FC forward Ryan Williams, who converted past Marcos de Leon to score his second international goal in his third appearance for India. Panama, described in the match report as World Cup participants and ranked 44th, struck back in the second half through Omar Valencia’s 68th-minute effort, labelled a wonder strike in the source account. India had a few late opportunities but could not reclaim the lead.
Khalid Jamil deployed a flexible system that operated as a 4-4-2 compact block out of possession and shifted to a 4-4-3 shape with the ball, retaining team shape for much of the contest. The report noted a recurring space between midfield and the front players, with Manvir Singh and Ryan Williams often positioned near the halfway line while midfielders held a compact low block, forcing India to use long balls when possession was recovered.
There was public discussion before the fixture about Jamil omitting veteran Sandesh Jhingan from the squad, but India’s defensive quartet — Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese and Abishek Singh — were credited with strong performances against the World Cup participants. Bijoy Varghese and Anwar Ali were noted for cutting out Panama’s attacks, while Akash Mishra and Abishek Singh contributed offensively and tracked back to maintain defensive compactness.
The match narrative emphasised India’s intensity in regaining possession and launching quick counters, a pattern that produced the opening goal when a turnover was exploited decisively. Panama responded after the interval as India’s intensity dipped; the visitors tested from distance before Omar Valencia’s equaliser, with the report singling out Apuia’s failure to stick to his marker as a factor in the goal.
Several attackers were credited with work-rate despite mixed execution in front of goal: Manvir Singh was reported to have scuffed a couple of chances, while Vikram Partap Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan were mentioned alongside Manvir for pressing Panama’s defence. Midfielders Ricky Shabong and Apuia were described as having performed their roles, and the Indian defence was said to have remained tight and alert through large portions of the match.
Khalid Jamil’s squad was described as appearing to have found a playing identity, though the report states it is yet to be seen if they can build on this against tougher opposition in the coming fixtures. India’s next confirmed match in the schedule is against Brazil on 3 October 2026 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, with kickoff listed at 7:30 PM IST; Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is identified as the team captain.