HANGZHOU — In a dramatic turn of events at the Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China, on Thursday, India's Asian Games 2023 journey came to an end in a pre-quarter final match against Saudi Arabia. The Saudi under-23 football team secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a convincing 2-0 victory over India, thanks to two crucial second-half goals from their striker, Mohammed Khalil Maran.
Saudi Arabia displayed its dominance throughout the match, and Maran's remarkable performance became the defining factor. In the 51st minute, a precise cross from Mohammed Abu Shamat found Maran on the right flank, where he skillfully outmaneuvered his marker, Sandesh Jhingan, to powerfully head the ball into the net, granting the Green Falcons a crucial lead. This goal rattled the Indian team, and just five touches later, Maran struck again.
Maran showcased his scoring prowess once more, needing only six minutes to find the back of the Indian net for the second time in the match. This marked his third consecutive match with a goal, following his earlier strikes against Mongolia in the group stage (a 3-0 Saudi victory) and in the last encounter against Vietnam (a 3-1 Saudi win).
Despite the eventual victory, Saudi Arabia missed several scoring opportunities in the goalless first half. One notable chance occurred in the 22nd minute when Musab Al-Juwayr's powerful right-footed shot eluded Indian goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh but unfortunately struck the crossbar. Sandesh Jhingan's timely interventions in the first half, including a crucial block to deny Zakaria Hawsawi's close-range attempt, kept the teams level as they entered halftime without any goals on the scoreboard.
