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India have been eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup 2023 after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Syria on Tuesday, January 23. Despite putting up a resilient fight in the first half, Omar Khribin’s second-half goal secured a well-deserved victory for the Qasioun Eagles.
Igor Stimac named an attacking lineup, with Naorem Mahesh Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte flanking Manvir Singh and Sunil Chhetri upfront. Consequently, the Blue Tigers started on the front foot, with Mahesh Singh testing Syria custodian Ahmad Madania in the third minute.
Despite the promising start, Syria began controlling the proceedings, requiring Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to make several crucial saves. The game evolved into a more physical contest, leading to three Indian players receiving yellow cards in the opening half-hour.
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The first half was played with high intensity, but the scores remained level. While India were resolute at the back, Syria had the better of the chances, recording 10 shots on goal compared to India’s four.
At the start of the second half, the Blue Tigers faced a significant setback as Sandesh Jhingan had to be substituted due to what appeared to be a knee injury. Syria resumed their dominance from the first half, controlling the proceedings, while India, though defensively resolute, failed to create meaningful attacks.
As the Qasioun Eagles grew increasingly desperate and committed more men forward, they were eventually rewarded with a goal with 20 minutes of regulation time left. Following a well-worked move, substitute Omar Khribin clinically slotted the ball into the back of the net.
After the goal, India struggled to break Syria’s defense, leading to their third defeat in the AFC Asian Cup 2023. This also confirmed the Blue Tigers’ elimination from the tournament, marking a disappointing end as they conceded six goals and failed to score any. On that note, let’s take a look at how the Blue Tigers fared against Syria.
India player ratings
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu [7]
The Indian goalkeeper has not enjoyed the best of tournaments so far, but he came up with three pivotal saves in the opening half. Initially, he denied Pablo Sabang’s close-range header and followed it up by parrying away long-range attempts from Ezequiel Ham and Ammar Ramadan.
Rahul Bheke [7]
Bheke was booked inside the first two minutes for a cynical challenge. In the second half, he played at the heart of the defense replacing Jhingan, and largely did well, making some timely interceptions.
Sandesh Jhingan [7.5]
Jhingan continued his fine form and led the backline brilliantly in the first half. His commanding presence in the air coupled with superb positional awareness, allowed him to block and clear numerous opportunities. Unfortunately, Jhingan had to be substituted early in the second half due to an injury.
Subhasish Bose [8]
Subhasish has previously played as a center-back in a back five, but Stimac tested him by pairing him with Jhingan in central defense. However, the Mohun Bagan Super Giant defender rose to the occasion, defending brilliantly for the majority of the game. He was arguably India’s best player on the night.
Akash Mishra [6.5]
Mishra was given the license to move forward and make overlapping runs, While his timing of the movements was good, he was largely underwhelming in the final third. He did, however, track back effectively to make a few well-timed tackles.
Deepak Tangri [6]
India lacked a physical presence in midfield last game, so the return of Tangri provided a much-needed central figure in front of the back four. Tangri’s defensive positioning and anticipation were occasionally poor, but he did a good job of covering the gaps and assisting his backline.
Apuia Ralte [5]
Apuia started the game confidently, but he was guilty of giving away possession in a dangerous area which almost cost India. Although his passing was mostly reliable, he had difficulties in matching the physicality of Syria’s midfielders.
Naorem Mahesh Singh [7]
Once again, Mahesh proved to be India’s creative force in possession. His mesmerizing footwork inside the box nearly resulted in an early goal for India. But despite a commendable performance, Mahesh was substituted at half-time, potentially influenced by his booking.
Lallianzuala Chhangte [5.5]
Channgte had a relatively quiet game by his lofty standards, but his work rate was impressive as he tracked back to assist Rahul Bheke and later Akash Mishra in the second half.
Sunil Chhetri [6]
Chhetri played behind the striker and showed some neat passing, linking up well with Mahesh and Chhangte in the first half. However, his influence reduced in the second half, as he once again lacked service upfront.
Manvir Singh [4]
In an attempt to play direct, Stimac started Manvir as the lone striker with the expectation that he would excel in holding up the ball and bringing others into play. However, the forward largely struggled to create an impact and was eventually substituted around the hour mark.
SUBSTITUTES
Udanta Singh [5]
Udanta came in place of Mahesh in the second half. Despite displaying bursts of speed, the winger faced difficulties in consistently beating his opposing number.
Nikhil Poojary [5]
Poojary was allowed to join the attack, but his final delivery was disappointing, to say the least.
Suresh Singh Wangjam [5.5]
Suresh struggled to influence the game and was constantly outnumbered in midfield when Syria committed men forward.
Sahal Abdul Samad [5]
Sahal made his first appearance in over two months, and it was evident that his touches lacked precision, leading to frequent instances of losing possession.
Anirudh Thapa [N/A]
Thapa arrived late in the game and had little time to make an impact.
