India to participate in the 2023 King's Cup in Thailand
What's the story
The Indian football team's busy schedule continues as they will be heading to Thailand to feature in the 2023 King's Cup. The four-team tournament will start on September 7.
The King's Cup will be played in a knockout format this year, which has been confirmed by the Football Association of Thailand.
Hosts Thailand, Lebanon, and Iraq will be the other three teams.
Here's more.
Record
India won the bronze medal in the 2019 King's Cup
Igor Stimac's men featured in the 2019 edition of the King's Cup and they did reasonably well against tricky opponents.
Although the Blue Tigers lost 3-1 to Curacao in the semis, they defeated hosts, Thailand 1-0 at their den and clinched the bronze medal.
It was a good experience for the young Indian team as they gave a good account of themselves.
Format
A look at the format
The King's Cup which is an invitational tournament hosted by the Football Association of Thailand happens in a unique knockout format.
The teams are placed against each other in the semi-finals and the winners progress to the finals, whereas the losing sides will feature in a third-place clash.
The top three teams are handed medals according to the result that they achieved.
Teams
Here are the four teams
Thailand are currently ranked 114th in the FIFA Rankings. India have enjoyed some success against them in recent years. The Blue Tigers have won the last two matches against Thailand.
Lebanon are ranked 99th in the FIFA Rankings, while Iraq are the highest-ranked team in the competition. They are ranked 67th in the world.
Lastly, India have the third-lowest ranking of 101.
Intercontinental Cup
India will take on Lebanon in the Intercontinental Cup final
India and Lebanon have qualified for the 2023 Intercontinental Cup final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
India topped the table with wins over Mongolia and Vanuatu. They played a goalless draw in the final group game.
The Blue Tigers will aim for their first win over Lebanon since 1977.
A win may also help India break into the top 100 FIFA Rankings.
Preparation
A part of India's AFC Asian Cup preparation
India are playing these tournaments like the Intercontinental Cup and the King's Cup, etc only to fine-tune the team for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar next year.
Stimac's men are in a very tough group along with former Asian Cup champions Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria.
While it will be tough, Indian players will look to put up a good fight.