New Delhi [India], August 16 : The Indian senior men's team to compete against Iraq in the semi-final of the 49th King's Cup 2023 after the draw ceremony was conducted by the Football Association of Thailand on Wednesday.
The King's Cup is an annual international men's football tournament organized by the FA of Thailand. The Blue Tigers will join hosts Thailand, Iraq, and Lebanon in the competition, as per ISL's release.
Igor Stimac’s men will face Iraq in the first semi-final on September 7, while hosts Thailand will square off against Lebanon in the other semi-final later on the same day. The winners of the two matches will face off in the final on September 10, while the losers of the two semi-finals will play in the third-place playoff on September 10.
The Blue Tigers last faced Iraq in a friendly in Baghdad in 2010, where they went down by a 2-0 scoreline. All the matches of the King’s Cup 2023 will take place at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Indian football team are the second-highest-ranked team in the tournament after Iraq (70) and just above Lebanon (100). Meanwhile, the hosts, Thailand is the lowest-ranked team in the competition with a FIFA ranking of 113.
The King’s Cup 2023 will mark the 49th edition of the competition and India’s fourth participation in the tournament. The Blue Tigers clinched a Bronze medal in their most recent involvement in 2019 when they triumphed over hosts Thailand with a 1-0 scoreline in the third/fourth playoff, following a loss to Curacao in the semi-final.
India also secured a bronze in their inaugural appearance in the King's Cup back in 1977, where they outperformed teams such as South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia. However, in their second appearance in 1981, they were eliminated during the group stage.
King’s Cup 2023 Fixtures
Iraq vs India (16:00 IST, September 7, 2023)
Thailand vs Lebanon (19:00 IST, September 7, 2023)
Third-place play-off (16:00 IST, September 10, 2023)
Final (19:00 IST, September 10, 2023).
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