India miss out on third-place finish after narrow defeat against Lebanon in King's Cup 2023

After their performance against Iraq, which was widely appreciated despite the loss on penalties, the Indian men's national team stumbled against Lebanon in the King's Cup 2023 third-place playoff clash in Chiang Mai City on Sunday.

Although the Blue Tigers dominated the proceedings completely in the first half, the opponents looked much more resolute in the second. Ultimately, it was a sensational strike from Kassem El Zein that secured the bronze medal for Lebanon.

Head coach Igor Stimac made just two alterations to his starting lineup, with debutant Asish Rai replacing Nikhil Poojary and Lallianzuala Chhangte slotted into the XI after recovering from an injury. Both teams were well aware of the other's strengths given they had crossed paths on three occasions in the last few months.

The first real opportunity of the match arrived in the 12th minute when Naorem Mahesh Singh managed to create some room down the left flank and whipped in a delicious cross into the box. Manvir Singh's towering header flew over the frame of the opposition goal, but India showed early signs of dominating the proceedings.

The Cedars looked more than happy to get into a shell and allow all the possessional control to the opposition. However, due to the heavy downpour before the match, there was a lot of slipping and sliding, especially near the sidelines. It made the Blue Tigers' affairs in the final third tenfold trickier.

In the 26th minute, India had another half-chance fall their way when Asish set Chhangte through on goal with a flicked header. However, his effort was blocked after a last-ditch tackle from a Lebanese defender. The Cedars looked toothless for the majority of the first half, while India lacked precision in the opposition box to make their opportunities count.

Talking about opportunities, another glorious chance fell the Blue Tigers' way in the 39th minute when a long ball from deep carved open the Lebanon defense as Anirudh Thapa got through on goal. Mehdi Khalil was caught out of position but the Indian midfielder's indecision, however, let the opportunity slip as despite having an open goal to aim at, he miscued his effort.

Both teams went into the half-time break level on scores and Stimac was left to feel hard done by, having not earned a lead despite all the dominance.

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Lebanon's resilient resurgence in the second half humbles India

To fine-tune India's approach, their Croatian gaffer opted for two straight swaps coming out after the break. Nikhil Poojary and Brandon Fernandes replaced Akash Mishra and Anirudh Thapa. Despite the changes from the opposition, it was Lebanon who looked like a rejuvenated outfit after the break.

Aleksandar Ilic's men looked much more proactive with and without the ball. Their rigorous pressing forced India to give away possession cheaply on multiple occasions. The most heart-pacing of these escapes was when Sahal Abdul Samad gave possession away from the half-line with a misplaced backpass. Substitute Karim Darwich had almost latched on to the ball but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu turned into his side's savior with a staggering clearance.

But the Blue Tigers were left caged in their own half thanks to the pressure from the Lebanese outfit. With every passing minute, it seemed growingly likely that India would end up conceding soon. And so it happened.

In the 77th minute, Maher Sabra climbed up the highest to meet a corner delivery but his initial effort was parried away by the Indian custodian. But the rebound fell for center-back Kassem El Zein, who with an acrobatic back volley slammed the ball past Gurpreet and steered Lebanon ahead. While the Indian players were still complaining about the legitimacy of the goal, the opposition bench celebrated in unison.

The heavens opened up as the game entered the final 10 minutes, with India still trailing by a one-goal margin. But the absence of Sunil Chhetri became evident with their erratic approach in the final third under pressure. Except for a few half chances, the Blue Tigers never really made a case for clawing back into the tie. The defeat brings to an end an underwhelming King's Cup campaign for the Blue Tigers and once again highlights their inconsistent away form.