Intercontinental Cup 2023: India Face Vanuatu With An Eye On Final

11.06.2023 - 12:03 sports.ndtv.com

On a high after their convincing win over Mongolia, India will look to seal a final berth when they face Vanuatu in the four-nation Intercontinental Cup football tournament in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

The hosts blanked Mongolia 2-0 in their tournament opener on Friday, while Vanuatu went down 1-3 to Lebanon. So, as things stand, the Blue Tigers will seal their final berth if they win against the team from Oceania.

Lebanon are the other team that is in the hunt for a final berth as they face Mongolia in the earlier kick-off at the Kalinga Stadium.

Against Mongolia, India sealed victory in the opening quarter itself, with quick-fire goals from Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte to bag their sixth straight win on home soil. "I was most impressed with the players' intention of adding to the game we've been practising during the training sessions," India head coach Igor Stimac said.

Football cup on Igor Stimac Croatia Mongolia India Fiji Lebanon Vanuatu

India head coach Igor Stimac was on Friday handed a two-match ban for his red-card offence after he argued with the match officials during the home side's 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their last group match of the SAFF Championships football in Bengaluru. Stimac was also fined USD 500 as the SAFF Disciplinary Committee deemed it a fit case for suspending him for more than one match. He was also handed a red card against Pakistan in India's campaign opener on June 21 but in that case the matter was not referred to the SAFF Disciplinary Committee as the offence was deemed "less serious" and he had to sit out of the subsequent match against Nepal on June 24.

Watch: India Football Coach Igor Stimac Shown Red Card Again Following Argument At SAFF Championship

The SAFF Championship clash between India and Kuwait in Bengaluru witnessed several ugly brawls with on Tuesday. India coach Igor Stimac was sent off following argument with the match officials and Kuwait players. That was not all as two players, one each from India and Kuwait, were also sent off due to ugly fouls. This was the second time in the 2023 edition of the SAFF Championship that Stimac was sent off from the ground. Earlier, he was shown a red card during a match against Pakistan. Tuesday's match against Kuwait ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams are in the semi-finals but India finished second in the points table.

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Indian Football Team Head Coach Igor Stimac To Serve Just One-Match Ban, To Return At Helm Against Kuwait In SAFF Championships

Head coach Igor Stimac will return to the India dug out in the game against Kuwait on Tuesday after serving one-match ban for his red-card offence against Pakistan in the home side's SAFF Championships opener. South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) General Secretary Anwarul Huq told PTI that Stimac's offence was not serious enough to attract a ban of more than one match and as such it will not be referred to the SAFF Disciplinary Committee for further action. "He (Stimac) will serve a one-match ban, not more than that," he said from Dhaka on Thursday.