When is the Indian football team's next match in the Asian Games 2023 Round of 16?

Modified Sep 26, 2023 20:47 IST

India will face Saudi Arabia in the Asian Games 2023 Round of 16. (Image Courtesy: AIFF Media)

Thanks to their tedious stalemate against Myanmar in their final group-stage clash, the Indian men's national team secured the second spot in Group A behind China and earned qualification to the Round of 16.

The road to the knockout rounds was incredibly treacherous for the Blue Tigers, given the absence of any training sessions ahead of the tournament. Igor Stimac was stuck chopping and changing squads until the final minute.

However, the lack of practice became evident when they were hammered 5-1 by hosts China. But Rahul KP's lone strike in the clash proved to be pivotal to India's qualification chances in the larger scheme of things.

The Sunil Chhetri-led outfit responded well in the second outing with a clinical 1-0 victory against Bangladesh, thanks to a late penalty from the skipper. The equation in the final match was straightforward, with India needing a win or at least a draw to make it through to the knockout.

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Against Myanmar, the Blue Tigers took the lead early on despite their lackluster performance through a fortunate penalty. But the Chinthe roared back in style and managed to equalize in the second half.

Both teams finished the group stages tied on points and goal difference, but ultimately the Blue Tigers finished ahead of Myanmar on the points table thanks to their better goal-scored tally. Meanwhile, China finished at the top of Group A with seven points.

Now, Stimac's men will lock horns against the second-placed team in Group B, Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern heavyweights defeated Vietnam 3-1 in their final group-stage encounter. The Green Falcons also hammered Mongolia 0-3 earlier in the tournament, which will be a massive test for India.