A fighting India went down by a solitary goal to four-time champions Iran in their second group match at the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers here on Friday.
After keeping their formidable rivals at bay for most part of the match, the Indians finally conceded a goal in the 88th minute when Yousef Mazraeh managed to beat goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey in the Group G match.
It was a creditable show by the Blue Colts against a team considered traditional powers of Asian football.
With three points from two matches, India U20 side still kept alive their hopes of finishing second in the group and moving into the tournament proper.
The top teams of the 10 groups, along with the five best second-place finishers, will qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 in China.
India, currently second in the group with a 4-2 goal difference, will play hosts Laos in their final match on Sunday. Laos lost 0-8 to Iran in their first match.
Iran, with six points, remain at the top of the group.
It was more or less an evenly contested first half in which the Indians did a good job against their skilled rivals.
The Indians broke into the Iranian territory on more than one occasion. The Iranians began aggressively and earned their first corner kick in the fifth minute, though it was tackled well by the Indian defenders.
India didn’t remain confined to their own half. Instead, they probed the Iran defence.
In the 11th minute, Kelvin Singh Taorem and Manglenthang Kipgen played passes before releasing it for Gwgwmsar Goyary, who was, however, quickly tackled by a defender.
It wasn’t easy for Iran to break through the Indian defence and had to wait till the 38th minute before they had their first real chance.
The Indian goal was definitely lucky not to fall this time, as striker Kasra Taheri had a clear sight of the goal after receiving a ball from the right. His header, however, went over the bar much to the relief of India.
The Indians remained positive in the second half and played lots of passes to keep Iran busy in their own area. Between 54th and 60th minutes, India made a series of attacks. On one occasion, India felt a penalty should have been awarded to them for a handball offence, but the Uzbekistan referee had other ideas.
India’s best opportunity in this period came at the stroke of the hour when a Kelvin Singh pass found Korou Singh Thingujam behind the defence. But Korou’s shot missed the target by a whisker.
As Iran found themselves increasingly frustrated in search of a goal, they began exerting as much pressure as possible. They not only won repeated corners but also had a try at the goal, which forced the Indian goalkeeper Priyansh to make a diving save.
Iran, however, couldn’t be kept quiet beyond the 88th minute. The Indian resilience was finally broken when substitute Yousef Mazraeh found the bottom corner of the net from inside the box.q
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