Haitham asiri

Huanglong Sports Center Stadium:  Indian men’s football team's campaign at the 19th Asian Games 2023 ended in Round of 16 after a 0-2 loss to Saudi Arabia, here at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium on Thursday.

En route to the knockouts, Sunil Chhetri and Co. lost to China 5-1 in the opener before beating Bangladesh 1-0 and holding Myanmar to a 1-1 draw. India finished second in Pool A behind China to seal a pre-quarterfinal spot.

India's plan, right from the get-go was to turn the game into a physical, gritty, scrappy battle. Igor Stimac had stressed on the importance of fighting it out on the pitch and it was no surprise to see the Blue Tigers put bodies behind the ball and rely on the counter to surprise their opponents.