The Indian football team will take on Syria in the final game of 2024 Intercontinental Cup at the newly-renovated GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday, September 9.
The hosts kicked off their Intercontinental Cup 2024 campaign with a goalless draw against a lower-ranked Mauritius side at the same venue in what was also India’s first game in Hyderabad in 16 years.
This marked India’s first game under new head coach Manolo Marquez, with Rahul Bheke donning the captain’s armband for the first time.
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Syria, 93rd in the latest FIFA rankings, are the highest-ranked team in the tournament and showcased their clinical nature upfront in the opener, trouncing Mauritius 2-0 on Friday.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
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India vs. Syria live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Intercontinental Cup match in India:
TV channel: Sports 18 3
Live stream: Jio Cinema
This game is available for live TV broadcast on Sports18 3. The match will also be streamed on Jio Cinema.
What time does India vs. Syria kick off?
This Intercontinental Cup clash takes place at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad, India and kicks off on Monday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. IST.
India vs. Syria lineups, team news
Marquez’s debut as head coach came with high expectations, especially after he shook things up with a bold lineup. However, the Indian national team’s performance fell flat, delivering plenty of energy but lacking the finishing touch— all bark, no bite.
Manvir Singh, Chinglensana Singh, and Anirudh Thapa came close to scoring for India but couldn’t capitalize on their chances. While India found plenty of success down the wings, they struggled to deliver the decisive final pass or shot to make the difference.
The Blue Tigers’ double pivot of Lalengmawia (Apuia) Ralte and Jeakson Singh will need to strike the right balance between pushing forward and providing cover for the defense.
If Manolo opts for a defensive midfield trio, he might choose to start Thapa in the advanced role instead of Sahal Abdul Samad, as Thapa offers stronger defensive skills and better tracking back than Sahal.
India predicted XI (4-3-2-1, right to left): Sandhu (GK) — Bose, Bheke, Ali, Gupta — Suresh, Apuia, Thapa — Chhangte, Mahesh — Manvir.
The visitors have no fresh injury concerns and are expected to have a fully fit squad available for this title deciding match against India.
Syria captain and ‘Man of the Match’ against Mauritius, Mahmoud Al-Mawas, will lead the attack alongside 6ft 2in forward Pablo Sabbag, with midfield trio Elmar Abraham, Mustafa Abdullatif, and Mohamad Al Hallak forming the supply chain.
Syria predicted XI (4-3-3 right to left): Chiotti (GK) — Mootoo, Collard, Rose, Jordan Francois — Langue, David Aristide, Bru — Adrien Francois, Aurelien Francois, Yannick Aristide.
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India vs. Syria prediction
India’s toughest challenge will be handling the cohesion and experience of the Syrian players, who look well in sync. In contrast, the Indian squad, under their new coach, struggled in the final third during their opener against Mauritius. To succeed, they’ll need to come together as a unit and shake off the mental block, especially with the memory of Syria’s 1-0 victory that ended India’s AFC Asian Cup campaign earlier this year still fresh.
Prediction: India 1-2 Syria