Indian Football Live | India U-23 v Qatar U-23 Live Score | Commentary and Updates

FT| India U-23 0-1 Qatar U-23

Updated: 11 March 2019 23:27 IST - Published: March, 11 2019 01:19 PM IST

PEEEEEP! PEEEEEEEP! PEEEEEEEP! And, with that the match comes to an end. It has finished India U23 0-1 Qatar U23 here at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar. Here is me, Abhishek Kundu, signing off but do login to Sportskeeda to get the latest Indian football news and updates.

The full-time whistle should come from anytime now as even the added time have elapsed.

90' Regulation time has ended and India is still behind by a solitary goal. Let's see if they can get a late-late equalizer in the dying embers of the game.

85' Five minutes of regulation time left. Can India get an equalizer?

80' MISS! What a miss that was from Boris. The youngster replaced Rahul KP minutes before and could have equalized for India with his first touch. Daniel Lalhimpuia beat his marker in the wing to send the ball across the face of the goal. Boris had an empty net gaping at him but he couldn't get a touch.

75' Only 15 minutes left in the clock and India is still behind by a solitary goal. They are dominating the game but a resolute Qatar defense and miscued chances from our strikers have ensured Qatar have the upper hand.

72' India are pushing men forward in numbers but unable to get the result. Anwar Ali delivers a brilliant dead-ball from just outside the box and Mehtab Singh towers the highest to nod it in. However, the Qatari defense hastily clears it away.

We have got the news that the scoreline is still 1-0 in favor of Qatar U23 after 55 minutes have elapsed.

We have got the news that the match is being held behind closed doors as per the request of the Qatar Football Federation. Hence, AIFF didn't generate the live stream link. But don't worry, we will provide you the latest updates regarding the match!

The teams are out of the tunnel. And, the second half should begin from anytime now.

45+2' PEEEEP! PEEEEEEP! There is the half-time whistle from the referee and it is Qatar U-23 1-0 India U-23. India had a lot of chances to score but miscued chances mean they are on the backfoot.

40' Oh, No! India are a goal behind as Qatar have taken the lead. Amro Abdelfatah slots it past a hapless Dheeraj Singh after picking up a peach of pass from Salman Atiq. India had a plethora of chances but didn't capitalize. They will be repenting themselves if they lose this match due to this solitary goal.

35' Only ten minutes are remaining in the first half but the scoreline stands as it began. India are mainly attacking through the wings but fumbling to finish. Still 0-0.

28' India have a free-kick from a dangerous position but Qatar averts the danger. Still 0-0.

25' CHANCE! And just as we said the pace had decreased drastically, India had a golden opportunity to make it 1-0. Narender towers above the entire Qatar defense and nods it on target. However, Qatar goalkeeper Yazan Naim Hussein produces an acrobatic save to keep the scoreline intact.

25' Both the teams have read each other's plans and the attacks are fizzling down in the midfield itself. Still 0-0 at the Aspire Academy in Qatar.

17' The pace is dictated by Qatar now but India is attacking through the counters. Both the sides have missed golden opportunities to take the lead.

12' The pace of the game has slowed down a little bit after flurry of passes in the opening minutes.

5' It's five minutes down at the Aspire Academy in Qatar and India is showing signs of positivity but is still 0-0.

1' KICKOFF! India gets the ball rolling and they have an early free-kick as Mehtab Singh is fouled.

As expected from Derrick Pereira, the India U-23 team will line up in a 4-4-2 formation. Mehtab Singh and Sarthak Golui will guard and overlap on the wings whereas the Indian Arrows partnership between Narendar and Anwar Ali will guard the heart of the defense. Vinit Rai and Sahal Abdul Samad will be the two midfielders exploiting the center of the park whereas Lallianzuala Chhangte and Komal Thatal will cover the wider areas of the pitch. The partnership of Rahul KP and Daniel Lalhimpuia will lead the line.

Here is the starting lineup for the India U-23 football team:

Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Mehtab Singh, Sarthak Golui, Anwar Ali, Narendar, Vinit Rai, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Komal Thatal, Rahul KP, Daniel Lalhlimpuia

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the India U-23 vs Qatar U-23 football match. This is Abhishek Kundu and, I will be with you till the final whistle. The lineups should be revealed at any moment from now.

Qatar U-23 team didn't have a wonderful outing in the 2018 Asian Games. They held Thailand 1-1 in the opening fixture before being annihilated by Uzbekistan 6-0 and succumbing to Bangladesh 1-0 at subsequent fixtures. Although only players born on or after 1 January 1997 will take the field today, the India U-23 team shouldn't underestimate them. After all, the team didn't even participate in the Asian Games owing to a tiff with the IOA.

Here is the 20-member Qatar U-23 squad that will face the India U-23 team tonight:

Goalkeepers: Mohammed Ibrahim, Mohammed Bakri, Mashall Barshm, Yazan Naeem

Defenders: Hatem Kamal, Bassam Al Rawi, Abdullah Al Muftah, Mohammed Shanab, Tariq Salman, Mowaffaq Kaidoum, Elias Ahmed, Hussein Behzad

Midfielders: Sayad Hassen Sayad, Hazem Ahmed, Adel Badr Al Ahmed, Abdullah Al Ahraq

Forwards: Khaled Mounir, Ibrahim Nasser, Hassan Ahmed, Abdulrahman Mustafa

Derrick Pereira feels the match against Qatar will be an ideal preparation for the squad heading into the AFC U-23 Championship Qualifers. After all, their senior team won the recently concluded 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Here is what the coach said:

"The match against Qatar provides us the opportunity to get a fair idea of where we stand, and where we need to work on. The focus will be more on finding the right combinations, and style of play."

India U-23 v Qatar U-23 Preview:

The India U-23 team football team will lock horns with the Qatar U-23 team in a friendly match in the build-up to the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers.

India are clubbed alongside defending champions Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Group F of the tournament, which will commence in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) from March 22. Pakistan was also scheduled to face India but their football federation has pulled the team out of the tournament.

Derrick Pereira will lead the India U-23 team against Qatar U-23 team, whose players will form the nucleus heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Moreover, five Qatari players namely Mohammad Al-Bakri, Bassam Al-Rawi, Tarek Salman, Abdelrahman Mustafa, and Khaled Mohammed even lifted the 2019 AFC Asian Cup trophy with the senior Qatar football team. They are expected to start against India.

Indian Arrows, who finished eighth in the I-League this season, have 11 players in the India U-23 squad. However, they will be missing the services of prominent players like Nishu Kumar, Anirudh Thapa, Mohd. Nawaz and Sairuat Kima, who will join the team after completing their club commitments with respective sides.

Moreover, Ashique Kuruniyan, Jerry Lalrinzauala, and Hitesh Sharma will not be a part of the squad as they are out due to injuries. Vinit Rai and Sarthak Golui are the only two India U-23 players part of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad that will cross swords against Qatar.

Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Sahal Abdul Samad, Komal Thatal, and Lallianzuala Chhangte are some other players who trained with the senior national team previously.

India's strength lies in playing a counter-attacking brand of football as witnessed in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup match against Thailand. However, coach Derrick Pereira likes to play a flat 4-4-2 with overlapping fullbacks. Liston Colaco, who is also a part of the FC Goa 'B' team, is the only player who has worked under the tutelage of the coach. It will be interesting to see how the India U-23 team lines up against Qatar.

When and where to watch: The Live streaming of the India U-23 vs Qatar U-23 match will be made available on the official Facebook page of Indian Football Team. There is no TV telecast for the game. The kick-off is at 9.30 pm IST from the Aspire Academy Training ground in Doha (Qatar).

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