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Also, Read: India vs Afghanistan: India secure a direct spot in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers after the game ended in a 1-1 draw

AIFF named senior India defender Sandesh Jhingan as the men's Footballer of the Year on Wednesday. On the other hand, they picked midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam as the Emerging Player for the 2020-21 season.

Also Read: Subho Paul: Teen Bengali footballer selected in FC Bayern World squad

Although Sandesh Jhingan won the 2014 emerging player award, this is his first player of the year award. Indian Super League and I-League club coaches voted for the players to win the awards.

Sandesh Jhingan wins AIFF Men's footballer of the year | SportzPoint

I take this award as a motivation to do better and inspire others to follow their passion for the sport. This Award comes with a huge responsibility not to let anyone down.

Sandesh Jhingan

Jhingan made his senior national team debut in 2015 in Guwahati and has since gone on to make 40 appearances for the Blue Tigers, scoring four goals. He was also part of the Indian side that lifted the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 and played out a memorable draw at the home of the Asian champions Qatar in 2019.

Jhingan has captained the senior team on five occasions. The most recent being the international friendly against Oman in Dubai in March. He was also honoured with the prestigious Arjuna Award last year.

Suresh Singh Wangjam wins the AIFF emerging player of the year award | SportzPoint — Image - Scroll

The 20-year-old Suresh made his Blue Tigers debut earlier this year against Oman. He was also part of the Indian side that competed at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.

"Heartiest congratulations to the Awardees. I hope they will continue moving forward from strength to strength in the future and continue to inspire with their performances and achievements," AIFF President Praful Patel said.

Sandesh Jhingan Aiff Emerging Player Of The Year Suresh Singh Wangjam

Afghanistan vs India, FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: When, where, and how to watch in India? Streaming details

India's men's national football team will face Afghanistan in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on March 21 in Abha.

Mar 21, 2024, 6:58 AM•2 min read

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Afghanistan vs India: When, where, and how to watch in India? Image - X

The Blue Tigers are set to meet their Asian neighbours Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on Friday (March 22) at the Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia. A win in the Afghanistan vs India fixture will give three points to the Blue Tigers and take them an inch closer to the third round of the ongoing Qualifiers. India have never made it to the third round of the Qualifiers since their first-ever appearance in the Qualifiers in 1985.

Also Read: Exclusive Manisha Kalyan: "The opportunity to play for India is hard to get; so give your all," Manisha to youngsters

India are coming into the contest after a disappointing AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 campaign. India were knocked out of the tournament from the group stage after losing to Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria in Group B.

When and Where is the Afghanistan vs India match?

Afghanistan's home leg will take place on March 21, 2024 (March 22, 12.30 am IST) in Abha, Saudi Arabia while India's home leg will be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on March 26, 2024.

When and Where to watch the Afghanistan vs India match in India?

The FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2026 between Afghanistan and India on March 22, 2024, will be streamed live on FanCode. The match will also be broadcast live on DD Sports. The match will kick-start at 12:30 am IST (Friday).

Also Read: Indian football team get ready to face Afghanistan in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 in Saudi

India's squad for the Afghanistan fixture

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Subhasish Bose, Anwar Ali, Amey Ranawade, Jay Gupta.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte, Imran Khan.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh.

Syria vs India AFC Asian Cup 2024 Highlights | Heartbreak for The Blue Tigers as they are knocked out of the competition following a 0-1 loss against Syria

Substitute Omar Khribin's only strike made all the difference in the Syria vs India clash as India are knocked out of the competition without even scoring a goal.

Jan 23, 2024, 7:52 AM•1 min read

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Indian Football Indian Footballers Sunil Chhetri Sandesh Jhingan Lallianzuala Chhangte Syria AFC Asian Cup 2024 Anirudh Thapa Apuia AFC Syria vs India

Syria vs India: Omar Khribin scored the winner for Syria against The Blue Tigers in the AFC Asian Cup Image - Getty

LIVE Updates

Jan 23, 2024, 1:54 PM

The Blue Tigers finish their AFC Asian Cup campaign with three losses in as many defeats, and to add to their woes they finish without scoring a single goal across three matches. For Syria, this 1-0 win would give them hopes of progressing to the round of 16.

This was Abishek Goswami bringing you all the highlights of the Syria vs India AFC Asian Cup 2024 match. I hope you will enjoy the highlights from the LIVE Blog below. Until next time, thank you.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:33 PM

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Syria (1) vs India (0) | Full Time

The referee blows the full-time whistle and Syria emerges as the winner of this highly intense clash against India in the Al Bayt Stadium. Substitute Omar Khribin's only strike makes all the difference between the two sides. Syria are through, most likely with four points. Australia finishes with seven points at the top and Uzbekistan with five points at the second spot. India finish bottom of this group with zero points and zero goals.

ð°ï¸ ðð®ð¥ð¥-ðð¢ð¦ð | ðð¡ð #ðð¥ð®ððð¢ð ðð«ð¬ ðð±ð¢ð ðð«ð¨ð¦ ðð¡ð #ððððð¬ð¢ðð§ðð®ð©ðððð ð°ð¢ðð¡ð¨ð®ð ð ð¬ð¢ð§ð ð¥ð ð ð¨ðð¥ ð¬ðð¨ð«ðð ðð² ðð¡ðð¦.

We will come back stronger ðª

.

.
.#IndianFootball #BlueTigers #SunilChhetri #SYRvINDâ¦ pic.twitter.com/AGbbipBYyh

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 1:30 PM

Syria (1) vs India (0) | 90+6'

Akash leads India on a counter but Weiss recovers. Mishra then sends a ball back into the box but Madania grabs it and dives spectacularly.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:24 PM

7 minutes of additional time | 90'

Jan 23, 2024, 1:23 PM

Free Kick for India | 89'

Udanta gets fouled and India wins a free kick. Thapa sends a cross from the set-piece but Bheke heads it harmlessly wide.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:20 PM

India are in search of their equaliser | 85'

India are pressing high, while Syria are defending, and protecting their lead.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:16 PM

Syria (1) vs India (0) | 80'

India are unable to get a hold of the ball. They must show composure on the ball and try to create something in the next 10 minutes.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:09 PM

Omar Khribin scores and the crowd goes wild | What a moment for him and what a moment for Syria!! | 76'

Mishra loses the ball in the other half. Syria moves it at pace to the left to Heras who cuts it back to Khribin's feet. Khribin fakes Bheke out and unleashes a superb shot that goes past Gurpreet. Simply a sensational finish from Syria's first Asian Player of the Year and the crowd goes crazy at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Syria vs India: Omar Khribin scores for Syria and they have taken the lead in the game Image - Getty

Jan 23, 2024, 1:08 PM

Bose is a wall | 74'

Weiss gets past Mishra but once again Bose comes into the rescue.

Jan 23, 2024, 1:02 PM

Ramadan's duty is over for today | 68'

Ramadan fires into space down the left and unleashes a close-range shot at the side netting. That's it for Ramadan, as he gets subbed off for Dali.

69' | More injury concern for India as Gurpreet is down holding his groin. He is receiving the medical attention now.

We're back for the 2ï¸â£nd half!
The final push for victory ðð¯

SYR ð¸ð¾ 0-0 ð®ð³ IND

ðº @Sports18 & @JioCinema
ð» https://t.co/wGw31LgysM #SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers ð #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/TgSGr3GWwH

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 1:01 PM

Sahal is right into action | 66'

Chhetri wins the possession back at the edge of the box and sets it up for Sahal but his shot gets blocked by Elias.

67' | Sahal's first shot is blocked

SYR 0-0 IND

Live | https://t.co/NuyLx9Ws23 #AFCAsianCup2023 #IndianFootball #SYRvIND

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 12:59 PM

Substitution for India | 64'

Sahal Abdul Samad replaces Manvir while Suresh comes in for Tangri. The crowd welcomes Sahal and Suresh with a huge round of applause and cheering.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:55 PM

What a miss! | 63'

Akash Mishra goes on a dribble and Hesar takes the ball off him before sending it into the far post towards Omar Khribin who smashes a header onto the roof of the net.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:49 PM

Free Kick for India | 58'

Manvir wins a foul in the Syrian half and the referee blows the whistle for an Indian free kick. Manvir wins the first header from the set-piece, but the ref once again blows the whistle but this time against Manvir as he commits a foul in the process of winning the header.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:48 PM

What a chance for India! | 54'

Ahmad Madania, the Syrian keeper almost gifts a goal to India. The keeper comes out for a cross and drops it at the feet of Chhangte. But the defenders force him wide and ultimately India wins a corner.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:42 PM

What a block by Bose! | 50'

Omar Khribin moves into a dangerous area. Hesar heads the ball towards Khirbin who turns brilliantly to shoot at goal, but Bose pulls off another huge block.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:36 PM

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Syria (0) vs India (0) | Second Half Kick Off

The second half begins awfully as Jhingan is injured again and has to leave the field immediately. Nikhil Poojary will replace him.

One change for both sides in the second half before Jhingan made it two. Udanta on for Mahesh for India.

47' | Sandesh Jhingan leaves the field after sustaining a knee injury.

LIVE | https://t.co/NuyLx9Ws23 #AFCAsianCup2023 #SYRvIND #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/JDe80SofWI

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 12:22 PM

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Syria (0) vs India (0) | Half Time

Manvir wins a header and Chhetri takes a touch before unleashing a shot but it goes off-target. And that's it for the first half action. The referee blows the half-time whistle and it ends all square in the Al Bayt Stadium.

We remain goalless at the break at the Al Bayt Stadium ð¤ð¤

ðº @Sports18 & @JioCinema
ð» https://t.co/wGw31Lh6ik #SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers ð¯ #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/MzWSdtbAZ6

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 12:20 PM

5 minutes of additional time | 45'

Jhingan is back on the pitch after receiving some treatment and he is right into action with a good clearance.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:18 PM

Jhingan is down with an injury | 44'

Sabbag and Jhingan go toe-to-toe as Sabbag chases a good ball into the box. Jhingan denies the Syrian striker but twists his knee in the process. He is receiving medical attention at the moment.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:13 PM

Another Free Kick for Syria | 40'

Bose brings down Alaswad with a nasty tackle and it's a free kick for Syria.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:09 PM

Double save from Gurpreet | 39'

Ramadan cuts back and smashes a lovely curler at goal but Gurpreet punches it clear the rebound goes back to Syria and Gurpreet has to punch it clear once again. Syria are looking threatening but India holds onto it.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:08 PM

Syria keeping possession | 36'

Chhangte tracks back brilliantly to stop Ramadan's run into the box. Syria are keeping the ball at the moment.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:03 PM

Chhangte wins a corner for India | 33'

India races forward on another counter and Apuia takes a shot which gets blocked by Ham. India recycles the ball and ultimately reaches to Chhangte who shows some brilliant skills on the right falk to win India a corner.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:02 PM

No Penalty | 28'

Ramadan goes for a shot and Deepak Tangri puts his foot in and Ramadan kicks Tangri's foot. VAR checks, and agrees with the ref's decision. It's just a corner for Syria.

Jan 23, 2024, 12:00 PM

Yellow Card for Mahesh and Weiss | 26'

Weiss gets pulled back by Mahesh and he reacts menacingly by going physical with Mahesh. The referee shows yellow to both the players.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:55 AM

Chhetri misses an open header | 25'

Manvir races upfield and passes it to Mahesh who whips it in, but the ball deflects off Elias' back and Chhetri misses by an inch to get a touch upon it.

Syria vs India: Chhetri's reaction says it all Image - Getty

Jan 23, 2024, 11:52 AM

Gurpreet and Bose into rescue | 20'

Ham catches Apuia off guard and takes a shot from the edge of the box but Gurpreet saves it comfortably. Sabbag runs to receive the rebound and he smashes it towards the goal but Bose comes with a block to deny him.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:48 AM

Gurpreet rescues again | 18'

Ham tries to send a superb ball to Pablo Sabbag into the box but Gurpreet reads it perfectly, comes out, and collects the ball. He needs medical attention as he was collided with Sabbag on the process of collecting the ball.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:46 AM

Shot off target | 14'

Ezequiel Ham unleashes a powerful shot but it goes off the target.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:44 AM

Apuia comes into rescue | 11'

Alaswad looks to send the ball towards the Syrian winger but Apuia reads the play superbly and shields the ball out of play harmlessly.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:39 AM

Gurpreet comes up with a superb save | 7'

A superb corner and Sabbag heads it at goal but Gurpreet stops it from going in. What a start to the match!

Jan 23, 2024, 11:36 AM

Manvir misses to find Chhetri | 5'

Mahesh intercepts the ball and starts a counterattack by moving the ball to Manvir who has Chhetri alongside him. Manvir comes 2-on-1 against the Syrian defence but delays his pass and Ousou smartly cuts it out. A huge chance wasted.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:35 AM

What a chance! | 3'

Naorem Mahesh is through on goal and the Syria goalkeeper pulls off a brilliant save to deny him and it's a corner for India.

Nothing comes out from the corner

Jan 23, 2024, 11:33 AM

Yellow card for Bheke | 2'

Yellow for Bheke for a foul on Ramadan.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:30 AM

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Syria vs India | First Half Kick-Off

The first half begins at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Jan 23, 2024, 11:27 AM

Time for the National Anthems

Syria vs India: The Blue Tigers are ready to face Syria Image - Getty

Jan 23, 2024, 11:00 AM

The match begins in 30 minutes

Not long to go now ð#SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers ð¯ #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/i7ktxMZjSp

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 10:43 AM

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Syria vs India | Starting Lineups

Syria

Madania (GK); Weiss, Ousou, Krouma, Ajan; Al-Aswad, Elias, Ham, Ramadan; Sabbag, Hesar

ð LINE UPS | ð¸ð¾ SYRIA ð INDIA ð®ð³

A victory against the Blue Tigers will propel the Qasioun Eagles closer to the knockout stage than ever before.

Who will seize the must-win moment? ð

Watch Live ðº https://t.co/nJZ0pcVqz1 #AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia | #SYRvIND pic.twitter.com/NwnyXyQ7KX

— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) January 23, 2024

India

Gurpreet (GK); Mishra, Bheke, Jhingan, Bose; Tangri, Apuia; Manvir, Mahesh, Chhangte; Chhetri

Jan 23, 2024, 8:04 AM

Hector Cuper,Â the Syria coach ahead of the clash

"There is an idea that the manager changes players for the sake of rotation, but we need more harmony among the players. This is what we ask them to achieve. We lacked that in the first match. All 26 players should have one focus, one objective. Push and press and try to build up from the low block. We have talented players who will try and control the ball." "I believe the Indian team have the same motivation to win three points. So, we need to be more calm and focused on the match to get the three points and qualify for the first time in our history."

Jan 23, 2024, 8:04 AM

Igor Stimac, the Indian coach

"All three teams are similar, very physical and playing in a similar way. We didn't have many reasons to change our approach. What's interesting about Syria is they use the same 11 players; they have a small bench with two or three changes. They're obviously limited on the bench. We'll try and see how fresh they're going to be tomorrow."

Jan 23, 2024, 8:04 AM

Possible Starting Lineups

Sahal may not feature from the start, but Stimac can bring him later in the game.

India XI (4-5-1): Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Akash Mishra; Apuia, Deepak Tangri; Lallianzuala Chhangte, Brandon Fernandes, Naorem Mahesh Singh; Sunil Chhetri.

Hector Cuper is unlikely to make any changes to his side

Syria XI (4-2-3-1): Ahmad Madania (GK); Abdul Rahman Weiss, Aiham Ousou, Thaer Krouma, Mouyad Ajan; Mahmoud Al-Aswad, Jalil Elias, Ezequiel Ham, Ammar Ramadan; Pablo Sabbag, Ibrahim Hesar

Final touches before the big game ðªð®ð³

ðº @Sports18 & @JioCinema
ð» https://t.co/wGw31Lh6ik #SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers ð¯ #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/yZTOWHHxiH

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 8:04 AM

Sunil Chhetri, the Indian captain ahead of the Syria vs India match

"One thing we knew for sure was we would have to deal with their physicality. It wasn't a surprise when we drew Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria. What has helped us is we've had two games against teams that were quite physical. What's more important is we rectify the small mistakes we made. We can't change things completely, but knowing how we fared physically, we need to rectify mistakes. Playing those two teams has given us the experience we need to play physical games."

Jan 23, 2024, 7:52 AM

Match Details

Fixture: Syria vs India: AFC Asian Cup 2024
Date: January 23
Time: 5:00 PM (IST)
Venue: Al Bayt Stadium
Live Telecast: Sports18 and Jio Cinema

The countdown begins â³

5ï¸â£ hours to go â°#SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 ð #BlueTigers ð #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/ZCkM0kFZIb

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 7:52 AM

Syria vs India AFC Asian Cup 2024 - Preview

Syria and India meet to see if either side can secure the three points necessary to push into contention for a Round of 16 place. This will be an exciting and entertaining affair with both teams looking for a victory.

Syria have their point from a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan while India have not yet managed to avoid defeat in their opening two Group B matches. As a result, Australia and Uzbekistan have already secured a place in the Round of 16.

With plenty of places still available in the third-place table, both these sides will consider themselves still in contention. Syria have an outside shot of finishing second if they beat India by a 4-goal margin and Uzbekistan finds themselves thrashed by Australia by a 3 or more goal margin.

Also Read: How can India still reach knockouts in AFC Asian Cup 2023?

The majestic Al Bayt Stadium in all it's glory ahead of the #SYRvIND showdown! ðï¸ð¤©#AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/TKlSbUhZ41

— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) January 23, 2024

Jan 23, 2024, 7:52 AM

Syria vs India: Head-to-Head

Across six meetings, India have won three, lost two, and drew one.

Matches Played: 6
Syria won: 2
India won: 3
Draw: 1
No Result: 0

Renewing our Nehru Cup rivalry of the past decade, the #BlueTigers ð¯ are set for their 7ï¸â£th meeting with Syria, and the first time on foreign soil ð

ð¸ð¾ðð®ð³#SYRvIND âï¸ #AsianCup2023 #IndianFootball â½ pic.twitter.com/PLeIeMxT32

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 23, 2024

AFC Asian Cup 2023: How can Indian Football team qualify for the next round?

Discover how India can qualify for the next round of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 despite facing two defeats against Australia and Uzbekistan.

Koushik Biswas

Jan 18, 2024, 8:07 PM•3 min read

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Also Read: India vs Uzbekistan AFC Asian Cup 2024 Highlights | Another disappointment for the Blue Tigers as they suffer a 3-0 loss against the dominant Uzbekistan

Here is how the India Football team can qualify for the knockouts of AFC Asian Cup 2023. Image | AIFF

Indian Football team had to suffer their second defeat in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 against Uzbekistan in Qatar. After getting heartbroken by Australia in the first match of Group B, India were outplayed by a better-ranked Uzbekistan by 0-3 on Thursday. However, even after two back-to-back defeats, the Indian Football team can qualify for the next round of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 and we will tell you how.

Uzbekistan players celebrating their goal against India in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar.

Three goals in the first half of the India vs Uzbekistan match from Abbosbek Fayzullayev, Igor Sergeyev and Sherzod Nasrullayev were good enough to push India to the bottom of Group B with zero points in two games. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan with four points now have bettered their chances of qualifying for the next round. Not only that, if they can beat Australia in their last game, they will qualify as the group-topper from Group B.

How can the Indian Football team qualify for the next round of AFC Asian Cup 2023?

Although the Blue Tigers' chance to qualify for the next round of the AFC Asian Cup is very low, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for them.

In Group B of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Tournament, Australia are the only team that have won all of their games. Uzbekistan won one and drew one against Syria, while Syria lost one game and drew one. On the other hand, India have lost all of their games in the tournament so far.

So, how can an Indian football team qualify for the next round despite losing all of their games so far? The answer lies in the AFC Asian Cup rules.

Which teams will advance to the next round from the group stage in AFC Asian Cup 2023?

Here are the teams which will advance to the next round from the group stages in the AFC Asian Cup 2023:

Group Winners of 6 groups
Group Runners-up of 6 groups
4 best third-placed teams from the group stage

The tournament started with four teams in six groups and in the round of 16, twelve teams will qualify from the round 1/group stage as the winners and runners-up of their respective groups. Meanwhile, the rest four places will be filled by the four best third-placed teams from the entire group stage.

So, how can India qualify for the knockout stages of the AFC Asian Cup 2023?

A frustrated Sunil Chhetri in the game against Uzbekistan in AFC Asian Cup 2023. Image | AIFF

India's fate in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup will be in their hands when they face Syria on Tuesday. The Indian team need to secure three crucial points in this match to keep their hopes alive of advancing to the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed finishers from the group stage. So, it will be a must win game for India when they take on Syria on Tuesday.

Indian Football Sunil Chhetri Sandesh Jhingan Gurpreet Singh Sandhu 2023 Afc Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup 2024 Anirudh Thapa

Australia vs India AFC Asian Cup 2024: The Blue Tigers start the campaign with a disappointing 2-0 loss against Australia

Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos scored the goals for Australia as they got past India comfortably in their AFC Asian Cup 2024 opener in Qatar.

Jan 13, 2024, 2:28 PM•3 min read

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Also Read: AFC Asian Cup 2024: Australia vs India Highlights | India starts their campaign with a disappointing loss after Irvine and Bos score for Australia in their 2-0 victory

Australia beat India by 2-0 in the AFC Asian Cup 2024 opener Image - Getty

India's defensive performance in the first half was canceled out by Australia as they started their AFC Asian Cup 2024 campaign with a 2-0 win at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Saturday. Jackson Irvine scored in the 50th minute and super-sub Jordan Bos scored his maiden international goal in the 73rd minute get the job done for Australia.

The match remained all square till half-time but the Indian defence was tested time and time again. Sandesh Jhingan played a crucial part in keeping the scores level. He also sustained a head injury but kept fighting until the very end.

Indian defensive excellence was the highlight of the first half as everyone expected that Australia will always play with the attacking mindset. Sunil Chhetri was the isolated figure in the Indian setup as the Blue Tigers were seen defending for most of the time.

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Sandesh Jhingan receiving treatment after a head concussion Image - Getty

After the resumption in the second half, Australia looked desperate to get the lead. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu tried to push away Martin Boyle's cross from the right, but the ball fell to the Aussie midfielder, Irvine who controlled it beautifully and then unleashed a perfect finish.

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Jackson Irvine celebrating the opening goal with his teammates Image - Getty

Coach Graham Arnold then brought Jordan Bos in the place of Craig Goodwin and it worked perfectly in favour of Australia. Bos, who usually plays as a left-back was deployed as a left-winger, and he showed his potential. When Riley McGree's cross from the right arrived, he made no mistake to tap it home. He bullied Nikhil Poojary and tucked the ball home within one minute of being subbed on.

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Jordan Bos in action against India Image - Getty

India ticked a lot of boxes in the defensive department, keeping a solid mid-block, and, at times, pressing with three players against an opponent with the ball, when out of possession.

India's best chance came in the 16th minute when Poojary beat his marker to provide a beautiful cross for Sunil Chhetri. Chhetri's flying header went just off-target. It could have been a huge moment but unfortunately, it didn't go in.

Stimac's side was rock solid in the first half but couldn't do the same in the second half. India will face Uzbekistan five days later in their second game of the campaign. Meanwhile, Australia would like to continue its run against Syria, on January 18.

Football Indian Football Indian Footballers Sunil Chhetri Sandesh Jhingan Lallianzuala Chhangte Aiff AFC Asian Cup 2024 Australia vs India

AFC Asian Cup 2024: Australia vs India Highlights | India starts their campaign with a disappointing loss after Irvine and Bos score for Australia in their 2-0 victory

Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos scored the goals for Australia as they got past India comfortably in their AFC Asian Cup 2024 opener in Qatar.

Jan 13, 2024, 9:11 AM•1 min read

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