India men's football head coach Igor Stimac expressed his frustration over the referee's decision to award Iraq a penalty in their semifinal defeat in the King's Cup 2023 at 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai on Thursday (September 7).

The Blue Colts went to toe against Iraq but ended up falling short in the end in a nerve-racking penalty shootout which ended 5-4 in favour of the Lions of Mesopotamia.

The entire game was a story of defensive errors, India's defence snapped in the crucial moments, while Iraq's keeper had a moment to forget. At the end of the 90 minutes, the game was level on 2-2. The most controversial decision arrived when the referee decided to award Iraq with a second penalty. Sandesh Jhingan allegedly pushed an Iraq player which led to the penalty.

However, the replay suggested that the decision was debatable. Igor Stimac expressed his disappointment by sharing a message on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter), and wrote, "Our boys left everything on that pitch tonight and I am immensely proud of them! Someone decided to rob them from winning tonight but the time will come sooner than many expect that even referees will not be able to stop my boys winning such games."

The game eventually went to penalties and Brandon Fernades missed from the spot and the game ended 5-4 in favour of Iraq. India will look to bounce back in the upcoming Asian Games.

-ANI