India’s national football team faced a heartbreak in the King’s Cup semifinal against Iraq as they lost in a penalty shootout following a controversial penalty decision. The match was evenly poised with India leading 2-1 until the 79th minute when a contentious penalty call changed the course of the game.
Controversial Penalty Decision
In a highly debatable decision, the referee awarded a soft penalty to Iraq after striker Aymen Ghadhban was involved in a tussle with two defenders in the box while attempting to reach a high cross. The penalty call appeared to be far from clear-cut, but Ghadhban himself took the responsibility and converted the spot-kick, leveling the match at 2-2 and forcing a penalty shootout.
In the ensuing penalty shootout, Iraq emerged victorious with a scoreline of 5-4. India’s Brandon Fernandez faced a crucial moment but saw his kick hit the post and go out. According to tournament rules, if the scores are level after regular time, the match proceeds to a penalty shootout, with no extra time.
Despite the penalty shootout loss, India’s performance was commendable, especially considering they were without their talismanic striker and captain, Sunil Chhetri, who was absent due to recent fatherhood. India competed on an equal footing against Iraq, a higher-ranked opponent sitting at 70th place in the FIFA rankings compared to India’s 99th.
Early Lead and Own Goal
Mahesh Naorem opened the scoring for India in the 16th minute, but Karim Ali equalized for Iraq with a penalty goal in the 28th minute. India took the lead once again in the 51st minute, courtesy of an own goal by Iraq’s captain and goalkeeper, Jalal Hasan.
Iraq faced further setbacks as they were reduced to 10 men in injury stoppage time when Zidane Iqbal was sent off for elbowing Brandon Fernandez. However, with no extra time play, India couldn’t capitalize on the numerical advantage before the regulation time ended.
The loss to Iraq marked the end of India’s impressive 11-match unbeaten streak in 2023. India had previously faced Iraq seven times, with Iraq winning six matches, and one ending in a draw. Their last encounter took place in November 2010, resulting in a 2-0 victory for Iraq in an international friendly match.
