India vs Iraq, Highlights, 2023 King’s Cup semifinal: Iraq beats India 5-4 in the penalty shootout after 2-2 draw at Full Time

Five excellent penalties from Iraq as it beats India on penalties to progress to the final of the 2023 King’s Cup. Brandon Fernandes was the unfortunate one to miss out as his penalty struck the right hand post.

India will now wait for the loser of the next match between Lebanon and Thailand to play on Sunday in the third-place match.

Bashar scores and Iraq are through to the final!!

Rahim Ali scores!! All eyes on Gurpreet now!

Al Hamawi scores!!

Anwar Ali scores! India still in it!!

Aymen scores!! Sends Gurpreet the wrong way again!

Suresh scores!! The keeper got his hands to it but the ball manages to sneak in.

Ali Karim sends Gurpreet the wrong way!!

Jhingan scores!! Thumps off the crossbar and in.

Salih scores and Iraq lead!! Into the bottom left corner.

Brandon hits the post!! So close!!

The two keeper captains in conversation with the referee for the toss. Brandon to take the first penalty.

We’re heading to a penalty shootout to decide the winner! Mahesh’s opener and Jalal Hasan’s blunder cancelled out by two debatable Iraq penalties. Zidane Iqbal’s late red means Iraq will enter the shootout with just ten men.

A corner for India as the long ball into Rahim Ali deflects off Sulaka. The corner is cleared but Zidane Iqbal gets a red while trying to retrieve the ball!! Moment of madness from him as he punches Brandon who was pulling him from behind.

Quite a few crosses coming into the box from the right flank. Ball falls to Zidane Iqbal at the edge of the box, whose shot is deflected behind.

4 mins of stoppage time added.

India makes its final change. Mehtab Singh replaces Sahal Abdul Samad.

Foul against Rahim Ali at the edge of the box. Yellow card shown as well. Not much wrong he did there to be honest. Eyes on the ball, trying to clear the ball. Glorious chance for Iraq to find a winner but it is blocked by the wall.

Iraq continues to pepper the Indian penalty box with crosses in. Quite a melee in the penalty box as the Iraq striker almost heads in a winner. Gurpreet’s stretched hand just about doing enough to put the attacker off his stride.

Aymen scores!! No mistake from the Iraq forward as he slots the penalty into the right corner past a diving Gurpreet.

IRQ 2 - 2 IND

Penalty to Iraq! Aymen Ghadhban is squeezed by two defenders and the referee points to the spot. Soft penalty that.

Andre Said with some excellent footwork to get away from the defender and get a shot away on goal. The defender does brilliantly well to get his head in the way and block the shot.

Some last ditch defending from India to get the ball away from its own box. Rohit Kumar showing some strength to push the attacker away and get the ball clear.

Chance for Iraq! Long ball into the box was controlled well by the centre forward and the ball falls to Bashar. Gurpreet’s outstretched leg clears it away though. First real shot on target since the goal for Iraq.

Four substitutions for India. Rahul KP, Brandon Fernandes, Suresh Wangjam and Rohit Kumar enter the field of play. Jeakson, Thapa, Mahesh and Manvir make way.

Iraq with much better control of the ball comparing to the earler minutes of the half. India attempting to counter with one long ball into the striker.

Cross in to the box from the left wing for Iran but Amin Alhamawi misses the target from three yards out. A chance gone begging. Tried to side foot it in on the stretch but puts it above the crossbar.

Osama Shafeeq attempts a shot from the edge of the box following a throw-in. Is wide of the post and doesn’t trouble the Indian keeper.

Ali Kadhim and Andre Said come in for Iraq after the hour mark.

Merchas Salih with a blatant pull on the shirt as the referee blows for a foul. Tempers flaring between the two sides and Gurpreet runs in from goal to bring it under control.

A sedate few minutes of play after the error from Jalal Hasan. No team has been able to create any goal scoring opportunities.

Rahim Ali replaces Ashique Kuruniyan for India.

An unfortunate error means Iraq will have to finds its way back in the game. It has had a larger share of possession for the entire game.

Howler from the keeper!! Manvir found some space in the right end of the box to shoot. Was a nothing shot really but the keeper makes a mess of it and the balls rolls into the net to give India the lead.

Iraq kicks us off in the second period.

Aymen Ghadhban, Amin Alhamawi and Zidane Iqbal come in for the Lions.

Kuruniyan finds space in the left wing to get a cross in but it is blocked by the defender. That will be last action of the half. Half Time whistle blows!

Two minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half.

Credit - X @IndianFootball

Iraq corner into the box is parried away by Gurpreet. Could have caught it as there was no real pressure on him. No real danger though as the ball is recycled back to the Iraqi defence.

Kuruniyan tries to wriggle past two Iraqi defenders in the left wing but gives the ball away. He does well to track back and win the ball back as well. Throw-in to Iraq though.

Hussein Ali with a shot following some brisk passing from Iraq in the penalty box. The shot is blocked but the referee eventually blows for a freekick in India’s favour.

The freekick hits the post!! Bashar with the freekick from the middle of the pitch, almost found its way through to the net. Looks like Sandhu got fingertips to it to push it onto the post.

Manvir ventures out into the flank and the ball is played through to him. No real support from the others and the ball eventually goes out for an Iraq through.

Iraq come again, trying to find a second goal. Akash Mishra does well to cut the ball out but India loses possession fairly quickly again.

Penalty for Iraq!! Al-Hamadi makes no mistake from the spot and Iraq are level. Jhingan given a yellow card for the handball in the box as well. Despite repelling the Iraqi attacks well, India loses its advantage in the game.

IRQ 1 - 1 IND

Goal scorer continously pressing the right back Ali. Referee deems it a foul and gives a free-kick. India has done well to put pressure after the opener. Iraq hasn’t been allowed to dictate the play.

Akash Mishra lifts a ball into the box from the touchline, just a touch above Manvir who jumped to try and meet it. Foul eventually given Iraq’s way for a push in the box.

Al Ammadi with a chance from the edge of the box for Iraq, no real power on the shot and it trickles behind for a goalkick.

A slip from Anwar Ali as he tries to pass the ball back to the keeper in the midst of the Iraqi press. Gurpreet takes no chances and clears.

Corner for India as the Iraq defence clears. The ball in into the near post and is easily cleared by the defence.

Mahesh scores!! Wonder full through ball from Sahal and Naorem Mahesh makes the perfect run into the box and slots it past the keeper at the near post. What a wonderful goal for the Blue Tigers.

IRQ 0 - 1 IND

A freekick for India near the halway line after a foul by Ali Ammadi. Thapa tries a long freekick but there are no takers. Iraq quickly counter and Thapa tries a risky header back to Gurpreet. A close call that for Thapa.

Excellent play from India to find Akash Mishra free on the left flank. Referee blows for an offside but replays suggest that was a very close call.

Possession given away by Ashique in dangerous territory but the striker Al-Hamadi didn’t read the through ball played and India escapes.

Gurpreet clatters into the attacker as he tries to come in and punch a long free-kick. No real complaints from the Iraqi players and the game continues.

First real opportunity for Iraq as the ball makes it way into the penalty box, cut back by the right winger but the defence positioned perfectly to deal with the danger.

India content with giving possession to Iraq. Not much of a press in the front third as well. Thapa with a wayward pass near the right touchline that goes out for an Iraq throw-in.

Iraq with the early possession and manage to get a cross in from the left flank, cleared by the defence though and India counter. Can only manage a throw-in but.

India is its blue kit, Iraq in its full whites. India get us underway.

Players stride out to the middle along with the match officials. The national anthems of both the teams are played.

September 7, Thursday

Iraq vs India - 4:00 PM IST
Thailand vs Lebanon - 7:00 PM IST

Iraq: Jalal Hasan (GK), H. Ali, Sulaka, Putros, Doski, Ammari, Rashid, Bayesh, H. Ali, Resan, Al-Hamadi

India: Gurpreet Singh (GK), Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Nikhil Poojary, Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashique Kuriniyan, Manvir Singh

When and where will the match between India and Iraq be played?

The match between India and Iraq in the 2023 King’s Cup will be played on Thursday, September 7 at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The kick-off is at 4:00 PM IST.

Where can I watch India vs Iraq King’s Cup semifinal?

The game between India and Iraq at 2023 King’s Cup in Thailand will be telecast live on Eurosport. The live streaming will be available on FIFA+ TV.

When Sunil Chhetri, a 39-year-old forward, outweighs every national team forward in terms of fitness and goal-poaching, it is an obvious problem Igor Stimac and his team would like to think ahead about.

It is not rocket science to figure out the overdependence of the team on Chhetri for goals. The Blue Tigers rode on his winner against Vanuatu in the Intercontinental Cup, and he was the Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner in the SAFF Championships.

Head coach Igor Stimac will have options in Manvir Singh and Rahim Ali to find his next No. 9. | Photo Credit: AIFF Media

When Sunil Chhetri, a 39-year-old forward, outweighs every national team forward in terms of fitness and goal-poaching, it is an obvious problem Igor Stimac and his team would like to think ahead about.

It is not rocket science to figure out the overdependence of the team on Chhetri for goals. The Blue Tigers rode on his winner against Vanuatu in the Intercontinental Cup, and he was the Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner in the SAFF Championships.

Chhetri is the No. 9. But for how long?

Last season, the Bengaluru FC captain initially fell off the pecking order of the starting squad under Simon Grayson, the head coach of the Indian Super League (ISL) side.

But his presence as the sole national team striker (in the starting XI) has become fait accompli primarily because no young striker has been as good as him.

The King’s Cup 2023, India’s next international tournament in the September FIFA window, might just provide a silver lining here.

Read Full preview: King’s Cup 2023: Litmus test for India to find its next No. 9 with FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers ahead

Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the 2023 King’s Cup semifinal between India and Iraq in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Stay Tuned for the preview, Starting XIs, Live streaming info and live updates from the game.