Abu Dhabi: India left their scoring boots and luck behind while hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) found both after a subdued opener to record a 2-0 win in the AFC Asian Cup here Thursday. In the first game, India had beaten Thailand 4-1.
Khalfan Mubarak (41st) Ali Ahmed Mabkhout (88th) scored for the home team. With the win UAE moved top of the table in Group A with four points from two matches while second-placed India still remained in the hunt for a knockout berth with three points from two outings.
India made a positive start in both the halves and created many chances, but paid dearly for lacking the finishing touch.
The Blue Tigers missed three big chances in the first half and while they created opportunities after the break too, India were denied on two occasions by the framework.
On expected lines, UAE enjoyed possession initially but, to the surprise of many, India had more shots at goal and dominated proceedings by keeping the opposition defence busy.
Sandesh Jhingan’s free header off a corner by Anirudh Thapa, which was won by Pritam Kotal, went off target. India could have been 1-0 up as early as the seventh minute at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
Then, unmarked at the far post, Sunil Chhetri’s header after Thapa squared it for the second highest active goal-scorer in international football, was brilliantly saved by UAE custodian Khalid Eisa.
India were to pay for those missed chances, as UAE, positioned 18 places above the 97th ranked India in the FIFA chart took charge. Mubarak charged forward and latched on to a ball by Ali Ahmed Mabkhout, who ran in from the right.
It was not that the Indian defence was in disarray but they would have done well to clear the ball at first instance. Thapa, the team’s youngest member at 20, could not get there in time while Anas Edathodika and Jhingan also could not come in the way of Mubarak, who scored his first international goal.
The joy would have been short-lived for the home team had the talismanic Chhetri’s attempt not missed the target by a whisker in the 43rd minute.
Down by a goal at the break, India were not to be disheartened and made their intentions clear in the second half. Coach Stephen Constantine brought in Jeje Lalpekhlua in place of Halicharan Narzary and the Mizo forward, who scored two minutes after coming off the bench against Thailand, nearly did an encore in the 53rd minute. However, his volley went inches off the post.
Three minutes later, India again experienced the so-near-yet-so-far moment when Udanta Singh’s came back off the woodwork. However, UAE put the issue beyond doubt when Mabkhout scored off a counter-attack.
PTI