Abu Dhabi, January 10: Khalfan Mubarak and Ali Mabkhout scored a goal each as hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) defeated spirited India 2-0 in their second AFC Asian Cup 2019 match in Group A here on Thursday (January 10).
Mubarak gave the hosts a lead in the 41st minute as they headed into the change room with a lead of 1 one at half-time. The Indians kept creating opportunities for themselves from the 11th minute into the game but they never really managed to send the ball into the nets.
The second goal for UAE came in the 88th minute when Mabkhout got the better of the Indian defenders as their custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu could hardly do anything to prevent the UAE attacker from scoring who had all the time in the world to score his first goal in this year's tournament.
With this win, UAE (FIFA ranking 79) took their first three points in the tournament and went at the top of the table. India were pretty unlucky in the night as they had created too many chances in the game but luck seems to have evaded the Blue Tigers.
Asian Cup fixtures | Results | Points table
The Indian players' shots ricocheted from the bar on as many as three occasions which tells how unlucky the Indians were on the pitch. Also, the UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa was alert between the bars and denied the Indians, who had a goal fest in their previous game, any opportunity to celebrate.
"It was a tight game. UAE are a good side, and they converted their chances. When you get your chances, you got to convert them. If we could have taken ours, it could have been different," said India skipper Sunil Chhetri.
"We are still in the running. As a team, we are united and we are ready to fight, and that's what we are going to do against Bahrain," he added further.
India will now face Bahrain in their last group encounter on January 14 and still have a chance to secure a win and qualify into the next stage.
Here are the highlights from the match:
India created a lot of chances in this game but certainly, it wasn't their day. The second goal would hurt India for it was a blunder into the middle and it should have been avoided.
FULL TIME!!! UAE beat India 2-0 to take three points and come back strongly after facing a defeat in their opening game. The hosts take the game away in style but it was hard luck for the Blue Tigers for they had their moments in this game.
90+3' OFF THE BAR AGAIN! Borges swings a free-kick into a dangerous area and Jhingan manages to glance it towards goal, but it's come back off the crossbar.
88' Goal! UAE take 2-0 lead. UAE's No.7 Ali Mabkhout gets behind the defence and scores to give the hosts a comfortable lead.
Ali Mabkhout hands UAE their first three points! #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/22eyeYbnJ8
— #AsianCup2019 (@afcasiancup) January 10, 2019
87' Time ticking away for India as UAE bring on two players in midfield positions to stop the Blue Tigers' attack from finding space.
85' Substitution for UAE! Man with the mask Matar has stepped into the pitch to replace goal scorer Mubarak.
81' Another attack by the Indian side. the headed ball from Sunil Chhetri almost finds Jeje. IND 0-1 UAE
80'! 10 more minutes to go in this game before the referees add the injury time. India are in desperate need to score the equaliser.
78' Substitution India! Jacky Chan has replaced Udanta as India desperately need an equaliser.
77' Consecutive corners for UAE! India defenders deny UAE any success.
75' Alahmadi is played into the box, shoots, his shot takes a deflection hits the post, then takes a touch off Gurpreet and goes out of play.
74' Lucky! Mohammedi's shot is deflected off Subhasish and hits the upright before coming back into play to hit Gurpreet, but it goes out for a corner that's dealt with. IND 0-1 UAE
72' Another Yellow card for India! Subashish gets the second yellow of the night.
71' SUBSTITUTION for India! Rowllin Borges comes on for Anirudh Thapa! India 0-1 UAE
The #BlueTigers 🐯continue to press for the equalizer as we move into the final 20 minutes of the match. #INDUAE #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball #AsianDream
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 10, 2019
📸: AFC Media pic.twitter.com/1qQKYnrZid
69' Gurpreet hooves it upfield, Chhetri brings it down for Subhasish, who plays it back to the forward, but the UAE defence gets back on the ball. IND 0-1 UAE
India have had more shots but haven't been lucky!
60' The @IndianFootball team have had 9⃣shots so far while UAE have 7⃣ to their name as we cross the hour mark! The hosts are the ones who have made their chances count better.
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 10, 2019
IND 0-1 UAE#BlueTigers #BackTheBlue #FanBannaPadega #IndianFootball #INDUAE
62' A dangerous cross into the box, but Gurpreet collects it with one hand and hits it in the second half. Indian forward Jeje couldn't hold on to it.
Every India fan's reaction so far in this game!
HOW DID THAT NOT GO IN!
— Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) January 10, 2019
Udanta hits the bar with a right footed shot after a quick one-two with the captain.
Apna goal kab aayega? 😞
🇮🇳 0 - 1 🇦🇪#JamKeKhelo #BackTheBlue #AsianDream #BlueTigers pic.twitter.com/D1IAjEy8i8
57' Free-kick for India! Chhetri lines it up, but its just over the bar. The ball just did not dip in time. IND 0-1 UAE
56' OFF THE BAR!! What else do they have to do? Jeje plays it to Udanta, who plays a one-two with Chhetri and shoots, but it ricochets off the bar.
53' CLOSE! The free-kick sent into the box was cleared towards Jeje but his attempt is off target.
52' IND yellow: Ashique receives a caution as his attempts to skip away ends up hurting a UAE player with a flailing elbow.
50' Bandar soars down the right flank, jinking past three players, but Anas slides in with a crunching tackle.
Stats from the first half!
This is how the first half of #INDUAE panned out!
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 10, 2019
Who do you think will be the more dominant side in the second half?#BlueTigers #BackTheBlue #FanBannaPadega #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/HEN3fDeANS
46' Substitution India! Jeje Lalpekhlua comes in for Halicharan Narzary.
Second Half starts! India must be looking for an equaliser early on to keep themselves in the game.
HALF TIME! The referee blows the whistle and that brings an end to an intriguing first half. It's been an enterprising 45 minutes, but UAE have taken the lead in the opening half. The Blue Tigers are trailing at the break despite creating plenty of chances. Ideally, the scoreline should have read 3-1, as India had created a couple of big chances but the hosts' defender and goalkeeper Eisa has ensured India are still goalless.
45+2' Ismail is stretcherred off the pitch, but Sandesh Jhingan is up and runniong with a strapping to his head.
45' A bit of a coming together between Sandesh Jhingan and Ismael, and both the big men go down in a heap. Ismael seems to be bleeding, as the two physios come out to treat the two players.
43' Chance! Sunil Chhetri counter-attacks and latches on to a lose ball and breaks into the UAE box, and shoots from an acute angle.....his shot goes tantalisingly wide, though. IND 0-1 UAE