The Indian men’s football team will square off against Iraq in the King’s Cup 2023 semi-final at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday, September 7.
Organised by the Football Association of Thailand, the King’s Cup is an annual international men's football tournament.
Apart from India and Iraq, the 49th edition of the King’s Cup will see hosts Thailand lock horns with Lebanon in the other semi-final at the same venue.
The Iraq national football team will be the top-ranked team in the upcoming tournament with a current FIFA ranking of 70. India and Lebanon are ranked 99 and 100 respectively, while Thailand have a FIFA ranking of 113.
The losers of the two-semi-finals will clash in the third-place playoff on Sunday, September 10.
On the other hand, the two winners of the semi-finals will meet in the King’s Cup final on the same day. Both the third-place playoff and the final are scheduled to be held at the 700th Anniversary Stadium.
Under manager Igor Stimac, the Indian football team will make their fourth appearance in the King’s Cup 2023. The last time the Blue Tigers participated in the tournament, they won a bronze medal in 2019.
India also won bronze in their first King’s Cup appearance in 1977 after beating the likes of the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Indonesia. In 1981, India were knocked out in the group stage of the tournament.
Tajikistan are the defending champions of the King’s Cup after defeating Malaysia on penalties in the 2022 final.
King’s Cup 2023 schedule and live India matches
All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)
|
Day and Date |
Match |
Venue |
Time (IST) |
|
Thursday, September 7 |
Iraq vs India |
700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai |
4:00 PM |
|
Thursday, September 7 |
Thailand vs Lebanon |
700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai |
7:00 PM |
|
Sunday, September 10 |
Third-place playoff |
700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai |
4:00 PM |
|
Sunday, September 10 |
King's Cup 2023 final |
700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai |
7:00 PM |
Where to watch India vs Iraq King’s Cup 2023 semi-final live in India?
The India vs Iraq King’s Cup 2023 semi-final will be telecast live on Eurosport TV channel in India.
Live streaming of the India vs Iraq King’s Cup 2023 semi-final will be available on FIFA+.
Indian football squad for King’s Cup 2023
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Gurmeet Singh
Defenders: Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP
Photo credit: Alamy
