King's Cup: Iraq vs India Live Updates

3:30 PM: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the Iraq vs India match in the King's Cup semi-final. The kick-off is just 30 minutes away! I am your host Aishwarya Chakraborty and will keep you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

King's Cup: Iraq vs India - Build-up

Iraq and India will clash in the semi-final of the 2023 King’s Cup on 7 September 2023. It will be a hotly contested fixture between two ambitious footballing nations from Asia in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Both sides are pegged to be favorites to win the King’s Cup which makes the upcoming fixture even more thrilling.

The winner of the contest will face either Thailand or Lebanon in the final for the trophy. As far as the loser is concerned they will meet the loser of the other semi-final for a third-place match. Considering the ambition and standards of both teams, it is safe to assume they will go with all guns blazing to secure a place in the final.

The Stakes

Iraq is the highest-ranked team (70) at the 2023 King’s Cup. This puts a lot of pressure on the team to lift the trophy. They are the favorites to win against India but the nature of the competition might result in an upset. Therefore, winning the 49th edition of the tournament will require the Lions of Mesopotamia to be in their best form. Their recent wins over Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen suggest that the side can beat any team on their day.

India is the second-highest ranked team (99) at the tournament and heads into it on the back of winning the 2023 Tri-Nation Series and the 2023 SAFF Championships. Igor Stimac has the Blue Tigers playing attractive attacking football and their recent form can drive them to defeat Iraq and lift the trophy at the end. 

Team News

Iraq has a nearly full-strength squad available and Zidane Iqbal can feature as well after taking part in the training session in the run-up to the King’s Cup.

India will miss the services of the teams’ highest goal-scorer Sunil Chhetri and left-backs Akash Mishra and Subhasish Bose. Chettri was permitted parental leave while Mishra is out with injury.