WAFF Boys' Championships 2018: India U16 v Iraq U16, Live Match Updates

INDIA 1-0 IRAQ

Indian players and their coach Bibiano Fernandez will definitely heave a sigh of relief after returning to winning ways and that too against the current Asian Champions!

India was definitely the better side as they created more chances and had 5 shies at the goal and all over 10 attempts off the target. Passing was much improved and holding nerves in the final seconds to score the winner is definitely the cherry on the cake!
India will look to take their momentum forward as they take on Yemen, in a couple of days.

It has been my pleasure to take you all through the journey in which India emerged as the victorious side and hope you all have enjoyed my company.

This is Spandan Paul, signing off !

FT- INDIA (Bhuvenesh 89') 1-0 IRAQ
India have managed a terrific upset over the Asian champions Iraq and Bibiano's boys have managed to send a very strong message as they pick up 2nd win in 3 matches!

94' - Full Time and INDIA have clinched this one in an emphatic manner`!
The goal scorer is said to be Bhuvenesh, the super sub !

93' Final change from Indian side as Harpreet Singh comes off the bench to bolster the defense and retain the lead.
IND 1-0 IRQ

90' - It seems from here that the final header was from Lalrokima which we will check very soon, but it was beautiful movement from the right and the assist from the right flank was brilliant to say the least!

89'- GOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!
India scores!

88' Lalrokima's free kick from 20 yards misses the woodwork by a whisker!

87' Brilliant tackle from Bikash to deny a clear opportunity for the Iraqian forward to pull ahead!

86'- Impressive one to one passes from Lalrokima and Sailo, but the latter's terrific through forward, had too much force on it, as Iraq goalie comes off his line to collect it up!

5 mins remaining on the clock!
Can India upset the AFC champions?

83' Lalrokima hits straight into the hands of the Iraq goalie. India need to make their chances count if they want to clinch this one!

80' Desperation rising high in the Iraq side as 3 consecutive lackluster efforts from them saw the ball fly high away into the stands, missing the target completely!

80' Iraq earns a free kick from a dangerous position; 5 yards from the box

Iraqian midfielder seems to have been affected after a hefty challenge from Gurkirat, and has been taken off the field in a stretcher!

76' Another substitution and Lalrokima is in!

75' Throw in for Iraq

73' Indian forward Bhuvenesh comes in place of Harpreet! Indian coach Bibiano definitely seems to have put one foot on the accelerator.

72' Brilliant free kick from Givson but a clumsy miss at the end as Iraq defense survives yet again!

71' Salio earns a free kick at the left edge of the box and Givson prepares to take it.

69' Salio cuts in after impressive movement by the Indian midfielders but his forward through was intercepted by Iraq defense!

66'- Brilliant movement upfront by the colts!
Danu crosses it in and Givson's lob over the final Iraq defender couldn't be kept in by Harpreet, in what otherwise, could've been the most dangerous chance for the Indians in this half!

64' End to end action!
India seems relentless on the attacking front and Iraq defense had to scramble to clear the ball, in a role reversal!
25 mins more... Can the colts clinch it?

62' Rohit Danu in place of Vikram Singh!

61' Corner for Iraq but comfortably caught by Jongte, the Indian custodian.
A substitution seems likely!

62' India seems to be relentless as Givson's free kick misses the target narrowly!

59' CHANCE! Vikram at the heart of the action again, as he now crosses to Ravi -whose header went off the target by few inches!
Iraq survives!

56' Harpreet to Vikram with a nice cross but Vikram's effort deflected onto the safe pair of Hands of Hadi, the Iraqian goalie.

54' Now its time for Givson to test the Iraqian goalie who is agile enough to dive to his right and collect the ball!

53' Kareem tries his luck at a 50 foot scorcher but Indian goalie Jongte had it pretty easy at the end!

It has been a tantalizing battle so far with India being impressive in the first half, earning a plethora of chances but Iraq defense have stood tall to deny all of those. Iraq might have enjoyed a better share of possession at the middle of the pitch but couldn't convert the rare chances in the final third.
This second half promises to bring a cracker of an action from a bunch of 16 year olds!
Stay tuned as we continue to bring to you all the live updates from Amman, Jordan !

46'- India gets a free kick at the edge of the box but couldn't materialize the chance as the Iraq defense stood tall yet again !

Second half is now underway !

HT: India 0-0 Iraq
It's halfway at Amman as both the sides return to the dressing home with the opening goal yet to be scored!

45' 2 mins added to the first half as India definitely would take a lot of positives from the opening 45 minutes.

43' CHANCE! Harpreet's scorcher misses the target by a whisker !

37' India earns a free kick from the left corner of the box as Gurkirat got nipped at the back but couldn't capitalize on the resulting free kick.

35' - Moirangthem SIngh gets booked as the referee flashes the warning for the first time in this game.
But Quassem wastes the resultant free kick as India marches on again!

34' Iraq survives as they hold off a stringent series of Indian attack and gets a free kick!

30' Brilliant pass from Bekey Oram through the middle but Ravi Bahadur couldn't affect a sweeter connection to the resultant volley which, at the end was comfortably grabbed by the Iraqian goalie.

29' Iraq frustrating the Indian midfield with a bigger share of possession at the moment!

26' Bekey Oram recovers the possession for India but Iraq snatches it away, again, to launch a counter, to which Jongte comes off the line and gets rid off any sort of danger

24' Series of attacks from the blue tigers as Iraq defense is putting their bodies on the line to retain Vikram and co.

21' SUCCESSIVE CHANCES! First Salio fails to carry forward a brilliant counter then Sailo- Vikram pairs up with a series of wall passes but the final touch from Vikram fell inches behind the onrushing Salio.
Promising stuff from the colts!

19' Hussain takes a long range attempt at the Indian goal but it ends up wide of the woodwork!

16' CHANCE! Vikram's scorcher was brilliantly parried away by the Iraqian goalie as Hussain, the Iraq CB could've been penalised heavily for the bluinder of conceeding the possesion, and a huge chance to India.

12' India get a free kick as Ravi got fouled by Karrar Hayder but the resultant free kick goes in vain and Iraqian goalie Hadi comfortably gathers a harmless header!

11' - Ravi's quick cross after the corner was way off the target.

10' - And India bags the first corner of the match!