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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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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