AFC Asian Cup: India finish pointless, goalless but coach Igor Stimac says ‘we can compete at this level’
Three games, over 270 minutes of football, six goals conceded, none scored and no points earned – India’s campaign at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup came to an underwhelming end on Tuesday with the team succumbing to a 1-0 loss to Syria at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.
The final 10 minutes of the game were a sight to behold – eerily similar to how the curtain came crashing down for the men’s football team at the Asian Games. It was a group of 11 chasing, harrying and finally winning the ball, only to have every good idea come to naught with no final ball and an end product. The lack of options when presented with the ball and helplessness at the continental level has been a resounding theme around the two teams Igor Stimac has taken to the two big assignments at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.
Against Syria on Tuesday, the Indian team played to the script. They fought to the best of their abilities. They created a couple of moments that may have become chances. They even pressed hard in midfield, fighting an obvious physical disadvantage that translated into slower, smaller players who simply couldn’t match up, except for a better level of stamina, against the Syrians. Eventually the overwhelming odds that follow this Indian team, at even the Asian level, made all the difference.
India managed a grand total of five shots on target through three games of Asian football. They were only able to win the possession battle against Uzbekistan, a team who were more than willing to let India pass the ball in their defensive third after scoring three past them in the first 45 minutes. In a season of tournament football when Japan were shocked by Iraq in Asia and Ghana were dumped out of the African Cup of Nations, India were
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