Indian Football Team Loses Once Again! Get Hammered By Syria 3-0 In Intercontinental Cup

India has gone off to a rocky beginning under new manager Manolo Marquez having been winless in both their games. Indian football team entered Intercontinental Cup 2024 with lots of hopes but ended up underperforming once again. 

India drew their first game against Mauritius 0-0 and today at home against Syria they were once again dominated by the opponents and lost the match 3-0 to lose out on the Intercontinental Cup 2024 title. 

India lose to Syria 3-0

India knew the match against Syria was a must win but their performance was abysmal as Syria stormed to a 3-0 win and the Intercontinental Cup title. 

Mahmoud Al Aswad and Daleho Mohsen Irandust scored for Syria in the seventh and 77th minutes to break the hearts of the home crowd at the GMC Balayogi Athletics Stadium. While Pablo Sabbag's strike in the injury time was a mere underlining of Syria's dominance.

The result meant that Manolo Marquez began his stint as India head coach, after succeeding Igor Stimac, on a disappointing note. He was appointed at the helm of affairs in July. Syria had beaten Mauritius 2-0 in their opening match and they thus ended the round-robin league with six points. India and Mauritius finished the tournament on one point each after playing out a goalless draw on September 3.

The highest-ranked team after the round-robin league wins the tournament as there is no concept of final.

India had won the title in 2018 and 2023, while it was the first trophy for Syria who had finished third in 2019.

In fact, this was the first time Syria won a title on Indian soil. The West Asian country has a long history of playing tournaments in India, but a title has eluded them before Monday.

Syria lost back-to-back Nehru Cup finals to India in 2007 and 2009 before finishing fourth in 2012.

In their last trip to India in the 2019 Intercontinental Cup, Syria ended in third place. In that tournament, the two teams played out a 1-1 draw.

In the last meeting between the two teams, Syria had beaten India 1-0 in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January, this year.

India made a horrendous start in the match as they conceded a goal in the seventh minute. After a brilliant attack down the right flank, Al Aswad's shot went in after a deflection from an Indian defender.

Three minutes later, Alaa Aldin Yasin Dali's shot from a distance rattled the crossbar and India escaped from conceding their second goal.

The loss certainly raises a lot of pressing concerns around Indian Football Team's run under Manolo Marquez. 

(With PTI Inputs)