Syria Defeats India 3-0 To Clinch Intercontinental Cup

The Indian football team's aspirations to secure a third Intercontinental Cup title were crushed after a 0-3 loss to Syria in their final league match. This marks the first-ever title for Syria on Indian soil, with goals from Al Aswad, Irandust, and Sabbag sealing their triumph.

In a heartbreaking turn for Indian football aficionados, the national team's hopes of clinching a third Intercontinental Cup title were obliterated with a 0-3 defeat against Syria in their concluding league match on Monday.

Mahmoud Al Aswad and Daleho Mohsen Irandust made early and decisive strikes in the 7th and 77th minutes, disheartening the home crowd at the GMC Balayogi Athletics Stadium. Pablo Sabbag later reinforced Syria's dominance with a goal during injury time. This result marked an unpromising start for Manolo Marquez, who recently succeeded Igor Stimac as India's head coach in July.

With an initial 2-0 victory over Mauritius, Syria completed the round-robin league with six points. Conversely, India and Mauritius ended their campaign with just one point each, following a goalless draw on September 3. The top-ranked team post-league phase claims the tournament title, with no final match held.

Historically, India had won the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 and 2023, while this win represents Syria's first title on Indian soil. Syria had a series of near-miss instances in past tournaments, finishing as runners-up in the 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cups, and taking fourth place in 2012. They had previously finished third in the 2019 Intercontinental Cup after drawing with India 1-1.

In their last encounter, Syria had also triumphed over India with a narrow 1-0 win in the Asian Cup held in Qatar in January.

(With inputs from agencies.)