Intercontinental Cup group stage final, Indian senior men’s football draws 0-0 with Lebanon
Posted Date – 12:22 AM, Fri – 6/16/23
Photo: IANS
Bhubaneswar: India’s senior men’s soccer team drew a goalless draw with Lebanon in the final group match of the Intercontinental Cup at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.
In a close game, both sides had chances to win the match, but neither side found an edge in another wet night in the Odisha state capital.
Lebanon had already been confirmed as India’s opponents in Sunday’s final before the game, with Vanuatu beating Mongolia 1-0 earlier in the day.
Head coach Igor Stimac again made a series of tweaks to the starting XI of the previous game, most notably resting Sunil Chhetri, who scored the winning goal against Vanuatu, allowing Ashique Kuruniyan to make his debut In the game. Goals Sahar Abdul Samad and Ralianzura Chant are also back in the line-up as the defense resumed for the opening game against Mongolia.
Despite the goalless draw, Stiemark said he was satisfied with how things were going.
“Very happy with the performance of the boys. We knew we would have a couple of Tests and that’s exactly what happened. That’s what happens when you play against opponents of better quality. Another clean sheet, enough In the end, I’m just sorry for the kids, it didn’t happen. Next time, we’ll definitely win in three days,” Stymark said after the race.
Similar to Mongolia’s match, India were set to start off lightning and nearly opened the scoring in just the third minute. After a quick throw-in from the right wing, Chhangte headed a low ball into the box and passed it to Anirudh Thapa, whose shot went wide of the far post.
The tempo of the game was largely controlled by the Blue Tigers, but Lebanon looked threatening on the counter-attack. In the 10th minute, captain Hassan Matuk turned around near the edge of the penalty area and shot a shot over the crossbar.
In another such break, Karim Darwich’s goal was clear, but Jhingan put his body on the line bravely as he pulled the trigger. Jhingan was named the hero of the match.
“A clean sheet means a lot to you as a centre-back. As a team, if you keep a clean sheet, it builds momentum for the team. Thanks to the team and the coaching staff, we worked hard to create Opportunities, the sky is the limit for us,” Jhingan said.
India’s first shot came from the left wing when Udanta Singh sent a low cross for Ashik Kurunyan who, angled opposite him, shot straight into the To goalkeeper Ali Sabeh.
Amlind, on the other hand, had to make a tougher save to block Suni Saad’s header after Hussein Zein crossed in from the right. A few minutes later, Chhangte’s free-kick from 30 yards went just over the bar.
Lebanon came out stronger after the break and started seeing more of the ball, targeting India’s backline. Zein Farran was their main threat down the right flank with his quick pace and strong dribbling skills. In the 53rd minute, he quickly stepped over Mishra to send a strong shot, but it was blocked by Anwar.
India took some time to settle down in the second half but eventually got going. Sahal was deftly put in by Udanta but the Kerala Blasters man was narrowly offside.
In the next minute, Chhangte’s cross from the touchline fell right behind Udanta, who had to improvise and try to go over the top, the ball went over the bar.
It was India who ended the game on a stronger note. The crowd of 10,000 cheered when Chhetri came on for the final 10 minutes of the game. His strike partner and substitute, Raheem Ali, could have had the next big chance of the game as he was picked unmarked by Tapa, but he couldn’t decide whether to shoot or assist a team-mate and the chances begging.
A few minutes before the start of the game, Chetri’s header went wide of Tapa’s corner.
