Lionhearted india

AFC Asian Cup: India’s campaign in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 came to an end when they went down to Syria 0-1 in their third and concluding Group B match on Tuesday.

In another match in the same group played simultaneously, Australia and Uzbekistan remained locked in a 1-1 draw. While Australia finished on top with seven points, Uzbekistan and Syria are placed second and third with five and four points, respectively, India ended at the bottom of the table without a point. The top three teams in the group have qualified for the next round.

In a passionately contested match at the retractable Al Bayt Stadium, India’s spirited resistance was finally broken in the 76th minute, with substitute Omar Khrbin slotting the ball home past a diving Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who till then looked unbeatable under the bar. The tall and experienced custodian was being stretched too much throughout the tie; he made innumerable saves only to find himself a trifle late in reacting to Khrbin’s low drive from close range.