India were defeated by Jordan 2-0 in their international friendly ahead of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final round qualifiers. Monther Abu Amara struck in the 75th minute, and Abu Zraiq doubled their lead in injury time as they picked up a comfortable win.
The Blue Tigers were barely able to get a shot on target during the match, and were unable to test the opposition goalkeeper as a result. A win in their qualifier could’ve helped them head into the Asian Cup qualifiers with some momentum. But instead, they will have to pick up the pieces and regroup from their loss and try to make improvements.
Jordan defeat India to end their AFC Asian Cup preparations
Both teams were unable to break the deadlock in the first half of their match. A cautious first 45 minutes saw Jordan have a few opportunities on goal, but confident defending from the visitors helped keep their attackers at bay.
Igor Stimac had to make some changes at half-time, and he sent on Ashique Kuruniyan and Yasir Mohammad in place of Manvir Singh and Anirudh Thapa, respectively. As a result, the second half opened up for them in comparison to the first.
But despite chances for Sunil Chhetri and Sahal Samad during the latter 45 minutes, a goal simply wasn’t meant to be for India. They now turn their attention to the bigger matches coming up, as they travel back to Kolkata for the qualifiers.
