Guangzhou: India let in two goals in the last
10 minutes after leading 1-0 to suffer a heartbreaking 1-2
loss to defending champions Qatar in their second group match
of the Asian Games football competition here on Tuesday.
India, who lost 0-2 to Kuwait in their opening match,
produced an impressive show and took the lead in the 18th
through Dharmaraj Ravanan, who headed in a flag kick.Sukhvinder Singh`s boys dictated terms on their fancied
opponents in the first half but conceded two late goals to end
the match empty handed. Striker Jaralla Ali struck twice in
the 80th and 88th minutes to break the hearts of the Indians.
Both the goals came after first choice goalkeeper
Laxmikant Kattimani had to be replaced by Gurpreet Singh
Sandhu as the former suffered an injury in a collision with
Qatari midfielder Saleh Mohamed during a scramble for the ball
minutes after the resumption of second half.
Not wanting to take any chances, Kattimani was taken to a
local hospital for MRI scan and he was ruled out of any
serious problems.
Gurpreet was found out of position when Jaralla sent a
looping header into the empty Indian goal for the equaliser in
the 80th minute.
Sukhvinder brought in striker Jagtar Singh in place of
Balwant Singh in the 83rd minute but that did not make much
difference in the Indian attack.
Instead, India conceded a goal two minutes before the
regulation time with Jaralla`s left footer from the edge of
the box finding the target.
The Indians went all out for a desperate equaliser in the
last few minutes and four minutes of injury time but to no
avail.
India will now have to beat Singapore in their last Group
D game on Thursday if they want to make it to the knock-out
stage of the under-23 competition.
The top two teams from each of four groups and the four
best third-placed teams will qualify for the Round of 16.
Three Indians -- Rowlinson Rodrigues, Robert Lalthlamuana
and Khagembam Jibon -- were also booked for rough play.
Coach Sukhvinder Singh started with the same eleven that
began against Kuwait. Jeje Lalpekhlua was in the starting
line-up despite a below par performance against Kuwait.
Sukhvinder was happy with the performance of his boys and
rued that they ended without any points.
"We really played well today, much better than the Kuwait
match. We created many chances and the way boys played in the
first half, it was a treat to watch," Sukhvinder said.
"We were unfortunate to concede two quick goals, which
could have been avoided for sure. We also missed two sitters,
Balwant missed a one-to-one chance, which could have changed
the whole course of the game. On the whole, I am very much
pleased with today`s performance," he said.
"We are still not out of contention for a knock-out
berth. We have to beat Singapore now," added the former JCT
coach.
Asked about Kattimani`s injury, Sukhvinder said, "We have
done an MRI on him and the team doctor said there is nothing
serious. His neck and spine are safe."
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.