SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AFP) - India coach Stephen Constantine stepped down Monday (Jan 14) after an injury-time Bahrain penalty floored his side 1-0 and denied the cricket-mad nation a historic spot in the Asian Cup knockout stages.
Meanwhile, hosts United Arab Emirates cemented their place as Group A winners after a 1-1 draw with Thailand in Al Ain that also saw the Thais progress.
India were moments away from reaching the knockout phase for the first time before Jamal Rashid converted a dramatic penalty to shatter their dreams and sneak Bahrain through.
After the defeat, Constantine announced he would step down after completing his second spell in charge.
"Stephen Constantine is stepping down after this game," said the Englishman, speaking in the third person.
"I've been here for four years. My objective from day one was to qualify for the Asian Cup. I've done that and we've broken a few records. I'm exceptionally proud of the players for everything that they've given.
"I think my cycle is finished," added the 56-year-old, who rejoined India for a second spell in 2015.
"I did what I was asked and quite a bit more and it's time for me to move on." India stunned Thailand 4-1 in their opening game - their first Asian Cup win in more than 50 years - but a 2-0 defeat by UAE made for a nervous encounter in Sharjah.
Television showed cut-aways of India's substitutes biting their fingernails throughout the match, while Constantine prowled the touchline in dark suit and sunglasses barking instructions to his players.
India were indebted to centre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who was being compared on Twitter to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk by the legions of fans watching on TV back home.
The giant, bushy-bearded, defender was immense all game to keep India's clean sheet intact.
But the Blue Tigers survived a scare when substitute Mohamed Jasim Marhoon's header hit the post after 71 minutes.
Clinging onÂ
India were clinging by the end, at one point packing all 11 players on their own goal line to defend an indirect free kick.
Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri, who overtook Lionel Messi in international goals during the win over Thailand, flew out to get the crucial block.
Just as it looked like India would hold on for a famous point, Pronay Halder committed a rash foul and Rashed stepped up to smash the ball down the middle to knock India to the bottom of the Group A and out of the tournament.
"Obviously we are bitterly disappointed," said Constantine. "The boys are sick, as you can imagine. I don't think we deserved it but it's the stark reality.
"It's unlucky we couldn't hold out for another three or four minutes," he added. "But I'm pretty sure no one expected us to qualify for the Asian Cup and the boys have exceeded expectations." UAE finished with five points, one more than Thailand and Bahrain, who go through as one of the best third-placed teams.
"That is the first time in this tournament I have seen my real Bahrain team show up," said Bahrain coach Miroslav Soukup.
"India defended amazingly but I felt that they were thinking maybe a little bit too much about a draw." It looked like being an easy night for the Emirates in Al Ain when striker Ali Mabkhout, top-scorer at the 2015 tournament, netted after just seven minutes.
As the white shirts poured forward, Ismail Al Hammadi's chipped shot came back off the bar and Mabkhout perfectly placed to nod home the rebound.
But four minutes before half-time, "Thai Messi" Chanathip Songkrasin's ball into the box triggered panic, leaving Thitiphan Puangjan with a simple tap-in.
"Today I was expecting a better performance. We controlled the game, scored an early goal but then we conceded a goal and we lost concentration," said UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni.
Lions hunt in their prides, or groups. They stalk their prey while low to the ground. They like to hunt at night because the animals have a harder time seeing them, but lions actually see better
Do lions hunt? - answers.com
Football: Harry Kane can be difference maker in Champions League final, says ex-Spurs defender Gary Stevens Harry Kane has not played since April 9 when he suffered ligament damage to his left
Virgil Van Dijk takes aim at Harry Kane ahead of Nations
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Manchester United's home ground Old Trafford is no longer the fortress it used to be as City look to win all three points and take the lead in the Premier
Old Trafford is no longer the fortress it used to be, says
Football: Improved Denis Suarez ready to make impact, say
Edinson Cavani missed a stoppage-time penalty as Paris St Germain continued their stuttering end to the season with a 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at home to Nice, with Neymar notching his 50th goal for the club.
Football: Neymar hits half-century as PSG are held by Nice
Apr 05, 2019 · Liverpool came from a goal behind to beat Southampton and regain its position at the top of the English Premier League. Liverpool came from a goal behind to beat Southampton and regain its
Southampton vs. Liverpool - Football Match Summary - April 5
Sheridan: Kyrie Irving on His Future: "Ask Me July 1" by Chris Sheridan @sheridanhoops NEW YORK — On the morning after the largest city in the NBA was turned upside down by the mind-boggling trade of Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, the fallout was being felt most acutely by Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics inside Madison
Irving july 4 - YouTube
Wang Meng Meng, News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
Rangers looked to strengthen their bid to win the Scottish Premiership title by announcing Sunday they had signed ex-England striker Jermain Defoe in a loan move. The 36-year-old Defoe, who has scored 162 goals in England's top flight, has joined Rangers from Premier League club Bournemouth in an 18-month deal.
Jermain Defoe completes loan move to title-chasing Rangers
Any notion of a winless season has been squashed at an 0-6 record for the second year in a row as the Commerce Tigers grabbed a 40-14 win against Howe last week, but another trip to the playoffs will be a difficult task with the Tigers facing a district leader this week. Commerce came away with the
Tigers riding high headed into 'must win' game
Gareth Bale's agent says the Wales international remains '100 per cent' committed to Real Madrid. Bale has been persistently linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this season, having
Bale '100 percent' committed to Real claims agent | Sport24
SINGAPORE - The Football Association of Singapore unveiled Joe Palatsides as its new technical director at a press conference at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday (May 2). The 53-year-old Australian worked at A-League club Melbourne City from 2012 before he resigned last month as the assistant coach of the senior team.
Football: New FAS technical director Joseph Palatsides
revision ( may final exam ) // speaking test as i told you in class (according to the school website), if you would like to see your final exam, you need to come on wednesday 15th may to our usual classroom.
Greens seek to leverage EU wins to - malaysia.shafaqna.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment