India vs Bahrain AFC Asian Cup 2019: The Blue Tigers' Tryst With Destiny
thebeautifulgame
Durgapur,India30601 Points
Indian football is poised for a watershed moment. The Blue Tigers take on Bahrain in a group stage match on 14 January. A win would guarantee them a place in the knockout stage and rewrite the history books, whereas any other result would mean that they would have to depend on the result of the other match in Group A to secure a place in the Round of 16. Although India has risen up to 97 in the FIFA ranking, they have often faltered at the big stage in recent times. However, Stephen Constantine and his boys have answered their critics in style as they have begun the Asian Cup with a bang. In the first match, they demolished much-fancied Thailand, beating them 4-1 and recording their first victory in an Asian Cup match in 55 years. In the next match, they foot tooth and nail against the higher-ranked hosts UAE and gave them a real scare, before unfortunately succumbing to a 0-2 defeat. What has been most heartening about these performances is that along with the veterans like "Captain Courageous" Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, the young Turks like Ashique Kuruniyan, Subhasish Bose and Anirudh Thapa have also risen to the occasion and displayed a maturity beyond their years. Bahrain have had a mixed outing in the Asian Cup. They almost secured a victory in the opening match against UAE, only to be held by them via a controversial penalty. However, they lost the next match to Thailand and would be desperate to get 3 points against India. They have an excellent record against India, having won 4 games and drawn one against them in the five encounters so far.
So, can Sunil Chhetri and his men make it a night to remember for Indian football? Or will it be again a "so-near-yet-so-far" tale for the Blue Tigers? Stay tuned then as the Blue Tigers clash with The Reds in what is surely one of the most momentous matches in Indian football in recent times.
So, can Sunil Chhetri and his men make it a night to remember for Indian football? Or will it be again a "so-near-yet-so-far" tale for the Blue Tigers? Stay tuned then as the Blue Tigers clash with The Reds in what is surely one of the most momentous matches in Indian football in recent times.
Match Details
Date: 14/1/2019 ( Monday)
Venue: Al-Sharjah Stadium
Time: 9:30pm IST. 8pm UAE time
Telecast: Star Sports
Stream: Hotstar and JioTV
and 7 others.
Comments
Pronay Halder will lead India in their third Group A fixture against Bahrain on Monday at the Al-Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah at the Asian Cup.
The date needs to be corrected in Hassan's blog as well
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