Indian Football Team to clash with Iraq in King’s Cup 2023 semi-final
The Indian senior men’s football team is set to take on Iraq in the semi-final of King’s Cup 2023, following the draw conducted by the Football Association of Thailand. Get the details on the match schedule and India’s past performance in the tournament.
The King’s Cup 2023 semifinal matchup between the Indian senior men’s football team and Iraq has been determined following the draw ceremony held by the Football Association of Thailand on Wednesday.
On September 7, the game will be held at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Later on the same day, Thailand and Lebanon will square off in the second semifinal.
The 49th King’s Cup final will take place on September 10 between the winners of the semifinal matches. In the third-place playoff, the losers will face off.
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According to the draw’s rules, Iraq, the team with the highest FIFA ranking (70th), and Thailand, the tournament’s hosts and rated 113th, were paired up against the other two teams, India and Lebanon, respectively.
India’s most recent encounter with Iraq ended in a friendly loss for them in Baghdad in 2010.
India will be competing in the King’s Cup in Thailand for the fourth time. The Blue Tigers last competed in the tournament in 2019, losing to Curacao in the semifinal before defeating Thailand’s hosts 1-0 to take home the bronze medal.
In 1977, when they made their tournament debut, India also took home the bronze medal after defeating nations like South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia. India was disqualified in the group stage in 1981.
-IANS