 "King's Cup 2023: A loss that feels almost like a win for India against Iraq")
In football, you never know what can happen. What looked like the toughest test for the Indian men’s football team under Igor Stimac’s tenure ended up in a defeat after a penalty shootout against Iraq on Thursday. But it turned out to be a game that almost felt like a win in the opening game of the 49th King’s Cup Thursday in the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium, Thailand. In fact, both the equalising goals that World No 70 Iraq scored in the normal time after 99th-ranked and Sunil Chhetri-less India took the lead twice in the match came from the spot. For India, both the goals came from the open play. Had there been extra time in the game and not straight shootout after a draw in the regulation time, on the basis of the performance they put in and the fact that Iraq were down to 10 late in the match, a Blue Tigers win couldn’t be ruled out. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Exclusive: 'We could have won against Iraq' But it wasn’t. A straight penalty shootout was the rule if the game ended in a draw and in what is generally seen as a lottery, Brandon Fernandes missed the only spot kick of the game, despite beating the Iraqi goalkeeper and captain Jalal Hasan with a shot that hit the inside of the right post but refused to go in. Had that penalty gone in, you never know what could have been the final result. Exactly, that’s how close India were to potentially being the winners, but ended up on the losing side. The difference between the win and loss was just inches but the performance from Stimac’s men on the pitch underlined the fact that the team has come a long way from where they were. Even as recently as 2021, India had huffed and puffed to a SAFF Championship win while struggling to beat even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the group stage. Eye-catching fight and penalties On Thursday, the Blue Tigers entered the match on an 11-game unbeaten run, and even if the loss-less streak came solely at home, India looked like a team transformed. Iraq had the majority of the ball in the initial minutes but they posed little to no threat before Sahal Abdul Samad showed his magic for India in the 16th minute with a measured pass, splitting the Iraqi defence to find Naorem Mahesh Singh in the box who slotted it past Hasan. India had the lead against all imaginations.
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Indeed, India had never beaten Iraq in six past encounters, suffering five defeats, but Mahesh’s goal must have surely raised hopes. But in football, you never know what can happen. Iraq were back in it after India were penalised for a Sandesh Jhingan handball. Ali Al-Hamadi found the back of the net from the spot to make it 1-1. Iraq then decided to get more aggressive. Frustrated, Jesus Casas rung in three changes at half-time, a testament to how India had nullified the Iraqi threat with their fluid low block off the ball with the help of Jhingan, Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh. They were ably supported by Anirudh Thapa and Ashique Kuruniyan who dropped back when needed. However, this never stopped India from venturing forward whenever they had the ball. Their fitness had to be commended as they were quick off the blocks whenever the opportunity arrived. This helped them earn the second goal when an Aakash Mishra shot from the right was deflected into the goal by goalie Hasan.
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Iraq would equalise again, through Aymen Hussein Ghadhban in the 80th minute, once more from a penalty that created controversy and broke Indian hearts.
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The game ended as a 2-2 draw in regulation time and Iraq had the final say in the penalties. Despite the defeat India were the better side on numerous occasions and for a change which is fast becoming a norm, against a higher-ranked side, it wasn’t just the Blue Tigers’ defence that helped them register a memorable performance. There’s always something to learn It was also the fitness and especially the technical ability of the attacking players like Sahal, Mahesh, and Ashique who neutralised Iraq’s physical threat with their trickery and ball control, something that was acknowledged by Iraq coach Casas after the match. “India were very good in the match. It was a very difficult victory for us. They have a good coach and have improved a lot in the last one year and next year would be a much better team. They are on the right path and I wish the best to them,” Casas said. India have one more game left in the tournament, against Lebanon in the third-place match on Sunday, and they would want to end the Thailand trip with happy memories. For now, there’s a lot to savour but also to reflect upon. Wins at the highest level against the best teams don’t come easily. One mistake and they would finish you. Maybe that is the next step in the evolution, closing out games from a strong position against higher-ranked sides. And looking at how they have progressed so far, one can be certain this would not be ignored.
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