After an action-packed 90 minutes, India and Lebanon were unable to break the deadlock, settling for a goalless draw in their last round-robin fixture before locking horns again in the final of the ongoing Hero Intercontinental Cup. Despite the match becoming irrelevant as far as Lebanon’s qualification for the final was concerned, after Vanuatu had defeated Mongolia earlier, the spectators at the Kalinga Stadium were treated to an engrossing battle between the two highest-ranked sides in the tournament.
Igor Stimac, the India coach, made 10 changes to the XI that started against Vanuatu, with Sandesh Jhingan the only one to play all three matches in the league phase. India had the opportunity for a dream start when Anirudh Thapa had a chance in the six-yard box from a fine pass by Chhangte, but he failed to convert. They came close again in the 19th minute, as Udanta Singh provided Ashique Kuruniyan with a superb low cross, but Ashique’s shot didn’t trouble the Lebanese goalkeeper.
Captain @SandeshJhingan shares his thoughts on tonight’s game and another defensively sound performance from the #BlueTigers 👏🏽#INDLBN ⚔️ #HeroIntercontinentalCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FUZKMRyMgc
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 15, 2023
In the early stages of the match, India employed the high press and prevented Lebanon from gaining midfield control. However, Lebanon gradually grew into the game after the drinks break in the first half, gaining more possession. They had a scoring opportunity in the 10th minute, but their forward, Hassan Maatouk, who was outstanding throughout the game, shot wide.
After a goalless first half, Stimac introduced fresh legs in the second half, replacing Ashique and Sahal Abdul Samad with Naorem Mahesh and Rahim Ali. However, Rahim had a forgettable outing, missing an easy chance to score following a defence-splitting pass from Thapa in the 83rd minute.
Stimac made another attempt to get the win by bringing on Sunil Chhetri in the 77th minute, but Lebanon’s defence proved too strong to breach. India failed to build on their wins against Mongolia and Vanuatu and if they are to claim the trophy on Sunday, they will need to be much sharper against a Lebanon side that were good value for a point.