Syria Edge Out India to Advance to AFCON Round of 16

Syria secured their place in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations with a narrow 1-0 win over India in their final Group D match on January 23, 2024. Omar Khribin scored the only goal of the game in the second half, as Syria finished third in the group with four points and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. 

India, on the other hand, ended their campaign without a point or a goal, and bowed out of the tournament with a disappointing performance.

The Decisive Goal

The match was played at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, and it was a must-win game for both teams. Syria needed a victory to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stage, while India needed a big win and a lot of luck to avoid elimination. Both teams started the game with an attacking intent, and created some chances in the first half, but neither could find the breakthrough.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 57th minute, when Khribin, who had come on as a substitute, scored with his first touch of the ball. The striker latched on to a through ball from Mahmoud Al Mawas, and slotted it past India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who had made some good saves earlier. It was Khribin’s second goal of the tournament, and one that proved to be vital for his team.

India tried to respond, and brought on some fresh legs, but they could not trouble Syria’s defense, which was well-organized and disciplined. Syria, meanwhile, had some opportunities to extend their lead, but they were wasteful in front of the goal. The final whistle confirmed Syria’s win, and their qualification to the next round, as they finished as the second-best third-placed team behind Burkina Faso.

The Analysis

Syria’s coach, Nabil Maaloul, praised his team for their resilience and determination, and said they deserved to go through to the round of 16. He said: “I’m very happy and proud of my players, they showed a lot of character and spirit. They fought hard for every ball, and they played with intelligence and patience. They knew how important this game was, and they delivered. We deserved to qualify, we played well in all three games, and we showed that we are a strong team in Africa.”

India’s coach, Igor Stimac, admitted that his team had underperformed and apologized to the fans for their poor showing. He said: “We are very sorry and sad, we did not meet our expectations. We did not play well, we lacked creativity and confidence. We have to accept the reality and take responsibility. We have let down our supporters, who had high hopes from us. We have to congratulate Syria, they played better than us and they deserved to win.”

Syria’s hero, Khribin, said he was delighted to score the winning goal and help his team advance to the round of 16. He said: “It’s an amazing feeling, I can’t describe it. I’m very happy to score this goal, it’s the most important goal of my career. It’s a dream come true for me and for my country. We have worked hard to get here, and we have shown that we can compete with the best teams in Africa. We are not afraid of anyone, we are ready for the next challenge.”

India’s captain, Sunil Chhetri, who was playing in his third and final AFCON, said he was heartbroken by the defeat and the exit. He said: “It’s a very tough moment, we did not expect this. We came here to make history, but we failed. We have to apologize to our fans, who always supported us. We have to be humble and accept the criticism.

We have to learn from this experience and come back stronger. We have a lot of young and talented players, but we did not show it today. We have to respect Syria, they played better than us and they deserved to win.”

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