Sports

India Wants To Win Against Syria To Maintain Hopes For Asian Cup Knockouts

By - 23 Jan 2024 02:19 AM

After losing their first two group matches, India is without a win and seems hopeless. To survive in the AFC Asian Cup football tournament in Al Khor, Qatar on Tuesday, they simply need to win against a formidable Syria. India's incapacity to compete fiercely with the best teams on the continent was exposed by losses of 0-2 and 0-3 to Australia and Uzbekistan, but a victory over Syria could restore some pride to the Sunil Chhetri-led team. Syria is currently ranked 91st in the FIFA rankings, 11 spots higher than India (102nd), but the team led by Igor Stimac has won the Nehru Cup tournament in 2007, 2009, and 2012, so a win is not out of the question.

When the teams last faced off, it resulted in a 1-1 draw in Ahmedabad during the 2019 Intercontinental Cup, with Stimac leading the Indian team at the time.

If India defeats Syria at Al Bayt Stadium, they will finish third in Group B, but even that won't guarantee them a spot in the round of 16.

It may be difficult for India to be one of the four third-place teams out of six to advance to the knockout stage with a goal difference of minus five after two matches—the deciding factor if teams are tied on points.Even if India defeats Syria on Tuesday, they will still have to wait until Thursday for the results of the final group matches (Group E and F).

India chose to play extremely defensively against the powerful Australians, who have long been FIFA World Cup regulars. However, they attempted to express themselves a little in the match against Uzbekistan, and this, along with some costly defender errors, prevented them from mounting a strong defense.

It's not like India was never given a chance to play Uzbekistan. They did manage to get at least three, Rahul KP's shot hitting the crosspiece among them.With nothing to lose from the match, Stimac may be tempted to go all out for a win against India but he could be wary of any mistake from his players, like the one committed by Rahul Bheke, which led to Uzbekistan's second goal in the 18th minute.

There's never a convenient time to give up goals at this level. Stimac declared, "A side like Uzbekistan will kill you if you give them time and space."

"We need to work on ourselves, close these gaps in our game, and look forward to winning the crucial matches that lie ahead of us.