Syria defeated India 1-0 during the ongoing AFC Asian Cup on Tuesday at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.
A breathless first half concluded without any goals, as India had a promising start to the match, while Syria dominated towards the end.
The second half began ominously for India as the crucial player, Sandesh Jhingan, sustained an injury and was substituted for Nikhil Poojary. The second half mirrored the intensity of the first, with both teams coming close to scoring on several occasions.
However, it was Syria who broke the deadlock, with substitute Omar Khrbin finding the net in the 76th minute. India continued to attack until the final seconds of the match, but ultimately, they lost 1-0.
This result means that India has been eliminated from the 2023 Asian Cup without scoring a goal or earning a single point.
Meanwhile, in the updated FIFA rankings, Syria remained at the 91st spot while India have lost 15 spots. They were at 102 before the game but are now placed at 117.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan played a 1-1 draw against Australia in the other group match. Uzbekistan moved to 67 from 68 while Australia are now at 25. Previously they were ranked 24th.
AFC Asian Cup 2023 Round of 16 schedule
January 28, Sunday
Group B 1st (Australia) vs Third-place Group A/C/D (TBD)
Group A 2nd (Tajikistan) vs Group C 2nd (TBD)
January 29, Monday
Group D 1st (TBD) vs Third-place Group B/E/F
Group A 1st (Qatar) vs Third-place Group C/D/E
January 30, Tuesday
Group B 2nd (Uzbekistan) vs Group F 2nd (TBD)
Group F 1st (TBD) vs Group E 2nd (TBD)
January 31, Wednesday
Group E 1st (TBD) vs Group D 2nd (TBD)
Group C 1st (TBD) vs Third-place Group A/B/F