Author: Webdesk

Rahul Giri in Doha Spirited Jordan held South Korea, the two-time champions, to a 2-2 draw in what was another upset in the AFC Asian Cup 2023. Son Heung-min opened his Asian Cup 2023 account with a penalty kick, earned through a VAR review, breaking the deadlock in the sixth minute. However, Jordan’s gritty performance almost allowed them to pull off a giant-killing, and Korea were indebted to an own goal in stoppage time for a share of the points against a team ranked 87th in the world. Jordan displayed courage, making continuous inroads into Korea’s backline. They nearly found…

Sahal Abdul Samad looked much better in India’s first training session after the 3-0 defeat to Uzbekistan. He looked far more fit and confident with his touches during training, as Igor Stimac and his boys started preparations for the Syria game – a must-win match to stay in contention for the knockout stage. The star midfielder, whose creativity was badly missed in India’s first two fixtures in the AFC Asian Cup, had a full session on Friday.A few days ago, ahead of the Uzbekistan game, he wasn’t present in the mini-games in order to avoid tackles and challenges. However, on…

Iraq made history by stunning four-time champions Japan 2-1 in an AFC Asian Cup group stage fixture at the Education City Stadium in Doha. Aymen Hussain’s brace propelled Iraq towards the knockout stage and broke a 42-year jinx against the Blue Samurai. Iraq’s last victory against Japan came at the 1982 Asian Games. In the fifth minute, Hussein scored the opener with a header, taking advantage of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki’s failure to clear Ali Jasim Elaibi’s cross. Despite Japan’s dominance in possession and numerous attempts, they couldn’t breach Iraq’s fortress. Hussein extended Iraq’s lead to 2-0 in the same…

India suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan in the second-round group stage fixture of the AFC Asian Cup 2024. With this defeat, India’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stage almost ended. They still have a slim chance but for that they need a massive win against Syria in the last group league match. The Uzbeks ran through the Indian defence throughout the game, although Sandesh Jhingan and his teammates succeeded in thwarting a number of attacks in the second half. Else, the scoreline would have been different. Highlighting the difference between the two sides, India’s head…

With no Eldor Shomurodov in the XI lining up against them, India went into this Asian Cup encounter against Uzbekistan with high hopes. It took the Central Asian side just 18 minutes to pour cold water – two buckets worth – on those Indian dreams, and the game was as good as over when Sherzod Nazrullaev added a third goal in the dying seconds of the first half. Unlike against Australia, when they fed off scraps, India had plenty of the ball against Uzbekistan. They struck the woodwork twice and forced Utkir Yusupov into a couple of excellent saves, but…

Ali Al Bulayhi netted the winner in the dying minutes as Saudi Arabia started their AFC Asian Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Oman. Roberto Mancini, who guided Italy to triumph at the 2022 Euro, is in charge of Saudi Arabia. He might be a bit disappointed with how his boys played in the first two quarters. Oman had control of the midfield in that phase, penetrating Saudi’s defence down the flanks. As a result of that constant pressure, they conceded a penalty when Muhsen Al Ghassani was fouled inside the box in the 10th minute. Salaah Al…

Bahrain’s valiant effort ended in defeat as Lee Kang-In’s second-half brace propelled Korea to a triumphant start in the AFC Asian Cup. Hwang In Beom initiated the scoring for Korea in the 38th minute, while Abdullaah Al Hashash levelled the scores for Bahrain early in the second half. Despite the significant FIFA ranking difference, Bahrain displayed resilience, preventing Korea from dominating early on. However, Lee Kang-In dashed Bahrain’s hopes by scoring twice within 12 minutes, securing a 3-1 victory for Korea. For the Latest Sports News: Click Here 🗣️ “We have to keep moving because the next game is close”…

Sahal Abdul Samad, who was injured for the first game, was seen returning to training on Sunday, as he joined the team for a one-v-one session before resuming his recovery. While he still remains uncertain for the Uzbekistan game, the midfield stalwart is well on the recovery path and there are hopes that he could make the cut for India’s second game in Group B. Stimac had a lengthy chat with the players at the start of the training session and then the players were divided into two teams. The 11 players except for Gurpreet, who were in…

Rahul Giri in Doha This isn’t a vintage Australian football team. There are no great players in the ranks, no one coveted by Europe’s biggest clubs. Though there will never be any shortage of effort and fight from those that wear green-and-gold, it’s hard to see this team going toe to toe with Japan or South Korea for the Asian Cup crown. Yet, for all that, they were far too strong for India. A couple of Lallianzuala Chhangte runs and crosses from the left early on hinted at a proper contest, but it never materialised. As the game wore on,…

Uzbekistan and Syria shared the spoils after a thrilling 90 minutes in front of a raucous crowd at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. A spirited performance from goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh ensured that Syria, 91st in FIFA rankings, held the 68th-ranked Uzbekistan 0-0 in this Group B fixture of the AFC Asian Cup. Australia are leading this group following their 2-0 victory over India. Anyone watching from the stands could hardly spot a difference between the ambience in the stands of a famous European club on a match day and Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Throughout the game, fans of both sides were…