India's men's football team will take on Iraq in the semi-finals of the King's Cup 2023 on Thursday, September 7 in Thailand. The invitation-based tournament features four teams including India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Not to forget, India will miss their legendary footballer Sunil Chhetri in this match and also in final, if they qualify. Chhetri has recently become a father and has decided to spend more time with wife and his newly born son.
The match will be played at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai. King's Cup, which was first played in 1986, has entered its 49th edition.
India last played in the SAFF championships which they won in a thrilling finish. India beat Kuwait 5-4 in penalties in the final to lift the trophy. Courtesy the achievements in the recent past, Indian men's football entered the top 100 of FIFA rankings for the first time since 2018. India are currently placed at 99th spot in the rankings. India had beaten Lebanon in the both the Intercontinental Cup as well SAFF Championship.
It's been a great year so far, and @lzchhangte7 hopes for more of the same _#49thKingsCup2023 _ #BlueTigers _ #IndianFootball _ pic.twitter.com/HtmjMbsE72
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 7, 2023
India coach Igor Stimac comes a full circle with the team. In 2019, his first tournament with the national team was King's Cup. “It’s been four years since the last tournament here when we participated and it was a great experience for our young team at the beginning of the start of our work,” Stimac said in Chiang Mai ahead of the 2023 King’s Cup. “We are four years older now. We have a clear picture of our capacities, possibilities, and what India can do and achieve.”
Here's everything you need to know about King’s Cup semi-final game match India vs Iraq:
The King’s Cup semi-final game match between India and Iraq will be played at the Sree 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The King’s Cup semi-final game match between India and Iraq will start at 4:00 PM IST on September 7, Thursday.
India vs Iraq match will be broadcast on the Eurosport TV channel in India.
India vs Iraq match will be streamed live on the FIFA+ app on a subscription basis.
India Probable Playing XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Nikhil Poojari, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashique Kuruniyan, Manvir Singh
Iraq Probable Playing XI: Jalal Hasan, Alai Ghasem, Mustafa Nadhim, Ali Atiyah, Dhurgham Ismael, Ibrahim Bayesh, Ami Al-Ammari, Sherko Karim, Amjad Attwan, Hussein Ali Al-Saedi, Aymen Hussein
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