On September 7, Iran defeated India in the semi-final match of the King’s Cup 2023, which was held in Thailand’s Chiang Mai. After a 2-2 stalemate at halftime, the Iranian side won the match on penalties, 5-4.
Iran, who is ranked 29 places higher than India in the FIFA Rankings, will now face the winner of the second semi-final, which pits Thailand versus Lebanon.
India played the World No. 70 Arab team, their most difficult opponent after winning the Tri-Nation International Friendly Football, Intercontinental Cup, and SAFF Championship 2023 in June and July.
Mahesh took India’s lead in the 17th minute, but it was quickly equalized by AFC Wimbledon player Ali Al-Hamadi in the 28th minute.
Until halftime, both sides had scored one goal apiece and were attempting to outperform one another.
After halftime, a mistake by Iraqi custodian Hasan handed India the lead in the 51st minute. As time passed, the action on the pitch heated up, with Iran attempting to equalize and India attempting to take the victory.
Iran was awarded a penalty in the 79th minute and did not waste the opportunity to score for his squad. Ghadhban himself takes the kick and blasts it beyond Gurpreet’s right, bringing Iran’s score to 2-2.
Despite 4 minutes of extra time, both teams tied 2-2. This is followed by. The penalty shootout started.
Fernandes, Jhingan, Suresh Singh, Anwar Ali, and Rahim Ali took shots for India, with only Fernandes missing. However, Iran’s players made certain that all shots resulted in goals. As a result, they defeated India on penalties 5-4 and advanced to the tournament’s finals.
Read Also : Sports
