The Indian football team suffered penalty shootout heartbreak after higher-ranked Iraq beat India 5-4 on penalties to qualify for the Kings Cup 2023 final at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Despite a heroic performance in the semi-final, playing out a 2-2 draw against an opponent they had never beaten in history.Sunil Chhetri less men in blue failed to secure a win in the semi-finals. The last time India took on Iraq, India lost 0-2 in Sarjah in a friendly match before the 2021 Asian Cup.History of defeatIn the six previous encounters between the two teams leading up to todays match, Iraq won five matches, while one ended in a draw. Interstingly, these two sides had a drawn game in the Nehru Gold Cup final in 1997, which Iraq eventually won in a penalty shootout. This historical pattern repeated itself as India once again lost in a penalty shootout, with Iraq keeping their composure to progress to the final.Indias rollercoster of matchIgor Stamics men initially took the lead when Naorem Mahesh Singh scored in the 16th minute after a brilliant move by Ashqiue and Sahal. However, Iraq managed to level the score in the first half with a penalty, for which Sandesh Jhingan was responsible.The Indian team went ahead once more in the 51st minute when Nikhil Poojary capitalized on the Iraq goalkeepers mistake, resulting in an own goal. It appeared that India was on the verge of a historic victory, but they conceded another penalty in the 81st minute, leading to a 2-2 draw and a penalty shootout.WE MOVE TO THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT 🥅Dramatic 9️⃣0️⃣ minutes come to an end, as Iraq cancel out both of Indias goals with two penalties.IRQ 🇮🇶 2-2 🇮🇳 IND📺 FIFA+ & @EurosportIN#IRQIND ⚔️ #49thKingsCup2023 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/djW4EBg37k— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 7, 2023 Penalty shootoutIn the shootout, all five Iraqi players successfully converted their penalties, with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu unable to replicate his previous heroics. For India, Brandon Fernandes unfortunate miss on his first attempt, hitting the post, proved costly.India will now compete in the third-place playoff on September 10, where they will face the runner-up of the second semi-final between Thailand and Lebanon.FULL-TIME ⌛Its a defeat on penalties at the end, but the #BlueTigers 🐯 have put in a stellar performance tonight 👏👏👏IRQ 🇮🇶 2-2 🇮🇳 IND🇮🇶: ✅✅✅✅✅🇮🇳: ❌✅✅✅✅#IRQIND ⚔️ #49thKingsCup2023 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/eS4b9mgqpx— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 7, 2023 India missed their regular captain, Sunil Chhetri, who is currently with his wife after becoming parents to a baby boy last week.
