Syria outclass India, lift Intercontinental Cup in Hyderabad
The Eagles of Qasioun register a 3-0 victory over the Blue Tigers in Hyderabad on Monday as Marquez's India era off to a rocky start.
Hyderabad: Syria clinched the Intercontinental Cup in dominant fashion with a 3-0 victory over India at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday. Goals from Mahmoud Alaswad, Daleho Mohsen Irandust and Pablo David Sabbag sealed a convincing win, leaving India’s new era under head coach Manolo Marquez off to a rocky start.
The stakes were high for the Blue Tigers, who needed a win to lift the trophy, but it was Syria who set the tone early. The match barely settled before Syria opened the scoring in the seventh minute, with Mahmoud Alaswad capitalising on a defensive mix-up between Indian defenders and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. A lack of communication left Sandhu helpless as Alaswad slotted the ball into the net, making it 1-0 for Syria.
Syria dominated the opening quarter of the match, continuously threatening the Indian defense. Just minutes after the first goal, forward Aldin Yasin Dali rattled the post with a powerful strike from outside the penalty box, nearly doubling the lead. India looked vulnerable, struggling to cope with Syria’s high-intensity and fluid movement. In the 20th minute, Noah Leon Shamoun had a golden chance to make it 2-0, but his one-on-one attempt was thwarted by Sandhu after a brilliant through ball from Irandust.
India’s first real chance came in the 28th minute when left-back Subhasish Bose delivered a cross to Lallianzuala Chhangte, but the winger’s header sailed wide of the target. Despite signs of attacking intent, India found it difficult to break through Syria’s solid defense, anchored by Emiliano Javier Amor and Thaer Krouma, who snuffed out every attacking move.
Syria continued to pressure India, testing Sandhu with several shots and exploiting space on the right flank. India, however, showed some resilience towards the end of the first half. Gurpreet’s long balls helped Manvir Singh create chances, while Nandha Kumar’s pace on the left wing caused some problems for the Syrian defense. Manvir came close to scoring just before halftime, but Syrian goalkeeper Eias Hadaya made a crucial save, keeping the score at 1-0.
At the start of the second half, Marquez introduced right-back Asish Rai and midfielder Lalengmawia to add more energy and attacking thrust. The changes brought immediate results as India earned several corners and built momentum. Chhangte and Nandha switched flanks, and in the 55th minute, Sahal Abdul Samad made a surging solo run, feeding Chhangte, whose shot was denied by Hadaya. India pushed forward with urgency, and the crowd began to rally behind them.
Despite India’s attacking efforts, Syria extended their lead in the 76th minute. Irandust made a clever run into the box and finished with composure after India’s defence was caught out of position. The goal silenced the home crowd and dashed India’s hopes of a comeback.
India continued to press, but Syrian goalkeeper Hadaya stood firm, making several key saves to protect his clean sheet. In the 90+6 minute of the match, Pablo Sabbag put the final nail in India’s coffin, scoring Syria’s third goal to seal a 3-0 win and the Intercontinental Cup title.
