India lost to Iraq on penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup 2023 football tournament at the 700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday. India lost by 4-5, after the score was level 2-2 in regulation time.
India took the lead in 17′ through Naorem Mahesh, however Ali Al-Hamadi (28’) equalized through penalty, Jalal Hassan Hachim’s own goal (51’) gave the Blue Tigers the lead agaisn but Aymen Hussein (80’) again equalized for Iraq through Penalty.
In the tie-breaker, Brandon Fernnandes hit the post.
The Indian men’s football team will next play the second losing semi-finalists from the match between hosts Thailand and Lebanon in the third-place match on Sunday.
in 2019 edition, India won a bronze medal defeating Thailand 1-0.
India XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Anirudh Thapa (Rohit Kumar 70’), Sahal Abdul Samad, Manvir Singh (Rahul KP 70’), Jeakson Singh (Brandon Fernandes 70’), Naorem Mahesh Singh (Suresh Wangjam 70’), Nikhil Poojary, Ashique Kuruniyan (Rahim Ali 57’).
Picture Courtesy: Social Media
