'No excuses please Igor' - Fans react to India's loss against Uzbekistan in AFC Asian Cup 2023

By Alen Philip Mathew

Alen Philip Mathew has been a correspondent for Kerala Blasters, covering Indian football and Indian Super League for Khel Now since 2021.

Published at :January 18, 2024 at 10:51 PM

Modified at :January 19, 2024 at 12:06 AM

(Courtesy : AFC Media)

Fans expressed concern over India’s qualification to the AFC Asian Cup knockouts.

India‘s second match in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 against Uzbekistan ended on a sour note, with the latter securing a 3-0 victory, and India conceding all three goals in the first half itself. The disappointment was palpable among the fans as the national team struggled right from the early minutes of the game. As the final whistle blew, Twitter (X) exploded with reactions from disappointed fans who expressed their dissatisfaction with the team’s performance.

Defensive Woes Criticized

Many fans took to social media to express their frustration about the team’s shaky defense. The match saw some glaring errors committed by Indian players, leading to Uzbekistan capitalizing on the opportunities. Twitter was abuzz with criticism of the defensive lapses that ultimately contributed to the 3-0 scoreline.

Overall our execution was poor. But the bigger worry was the lack of awareness to follow third man runs. Normally we are compact in shape but today it was abysmal but the tone was set in the first 15-20 mins. #AsianCup2023 #IndianFootball #INDvUZB
— Ayan Jana 🔰 (@ayan_jana_27) January 18, 2024

When We Defend, We Can't Attack And When We Attack, We Can't Defend. That's The Simple Story Of Indian Football And This Comes Down To The Quality Between Us And The Opposition. If Vietnam Would've Created the chances which we created tonight then they could've won the game.
— Liverpool Lovee (@liverpool2_love) January 18, 2024

#INDvUZB Even after 15 years of watching and supporting Indian football, I feel disappointed. Not talking about the result but the playing intelligence, tempo,decision making, transitions,thinking.should stop gratifying occasional draws and wins…NOT THIS GENERATION pic.twitter.com/3kAUUk9ZX0
— Nandi Vardhan H.R. (@nandiva85) January 18, 2024

Disappointed 💔 pic.twitter.com/yRtcLmANJv
— ರಕ್ಷತ್ (@Rakshat70606953) January 18, 2024

Qualification Hopes Dwindling

As the final whistle blew, signalling India’s defeat, fans began speculating about the team’s chances of progressing to the next round. Many expressed concern that the loss significantly reduced India’s likelihood of qualifying for the next stage of the tournament.

Also Read: How can India qualify for AFC Asian Cup 2023 knockout round?

Sunil Chhetri's last major tournament and it ends like this 💔💔
— StrongBohiemen249 (@ChavanAkshad) January 18, 2024

Purely Disappointed…!!! 💔 pic.twitter.com/46sFSQgfuC
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) January 18, 2024

India's, Asian Dream comes to an end 💔Igor, this time no excuses please.#IndianFootball #AsianCup #KBFC pic.twitter.com/oC8YvteecF
— Sarath (@connecttosarath) January 18, 2024

Dreams Are Shattered😩 We Are Getting Older I Don't Know When Our @IndianFootball Is Going To Make Up To The Knockouts
— Sarang Kr Chettri (@SarangChettri) January 18, 2024

Sadness and Disappointment Echoed

Emotions ran high on Twitter (X), with fans sharing their sadness over the outcome of the match. Some lamented the missed opportunities, while others expressed long shouts to sack manager Igor Štimac, calling for a change.

We need Changes man, This is not how we are meant to play. A good coach definitely makes a difference. #IndianFootball #AFCAsianCup2023 #StimacOut #StimacOut #StimacOut #StimacOut #StimacOut #StimacOut pic.twitter.com/HS9neo313N
— Vaibhav (@Vaibhav_KY) January 18, 2024

Chances not converted 👏 better than most of the games I have seen 🙌
— Sach (@sach_gooner) January 18, 2024

I don't care what rank our opponents are but not scoring a single goal in group stage is a sackable for Stimac. No team or manager gets a 1 month camp and with Chhetri's retirement imminent, it's high time we get an attack minded coach in#INDvUZB #AFCAsianCup2023
— Super_Sivasakthi (@LFCMafiaKingPin) January 18, 2024

Just take Jhingan, GSS and Chhetri out atp.
— Zeel Shah (@ZeelShaah) January 18, 2024

Main reason behind these poor results is poor tactics and poor player selection. India need a better coach. Igor Stimac got 5 years but no result. AIFF is responsible for extending his contract despite the poor results. #StimacOut #IndianFootball #AsianCup2023 #INDvUZB
— Rakesh Dash (@rakeshdash_) January 18, 2024

Calls for Improvement

Despite the disappointment, many fans remained optimistic and called for improvements in the team’s strategy and execution. Twitter (X) became a platform for constructive criticism, with fans urging the coaching staff and players to learn from their mistakes.

Too bad Performance😪. No matter ,we will be back 💪#INDvUZB ⚔️ #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽
— Likun__ (@Pradyumnalikun) January 18, 2024

It's okay.. pic.twitter.com/nzwlI4UXaw
— Indian Football ⚽ (@Footbalindia) January 18, 2024

Our boys Give out everything. Head up guyzz, The second half was..🔥
— Fabin Francis (@FabinFrancis3) January 18, 2024

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Alen Philip Mathew

Football journalist with years of expertise covering Indian football, particularly Kerala Blasters and the Indian Super League. Alongside his passion for sports, he is a dedicated medical student. Alen specializes in match analysis, player interviews, and community reactions.