Saudi Arabia vs. India U-23: Clash of Football Titans in the Asian Games

Indian Football team will face Saudi Arabian teams for the first time in the Asian Games after drawing with Myanmar in their final group stage match at Xiaoshan Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou. Not to forget that the competition is between U-23 age group teams in which only four players above 23+ age are allowed, and it clearly shows that even the young guns of the Indian Football Team are not to be taken lightly.

Indian Football Team played three matches in the group stage. They lost the first match against China, then won it against Bangladesh, and in the last, drew against Myanmar to reach the Round of 16 stage, where they are going to face Saudi Arabia, who are coming into the match without losing any game which clearly shows that they are the stronger side. Both U-23 teams never faced each other in any competition, but the senior team faced each other once, in which the Saudi Arabia team won.

Saudi team won their last match against Vietnam, who is also one of the strongest teams in the Asian Games, but the Indian Team does have a lot of talent, which was seen in the group stage matches that also impressed Igor Stimac, the Indian Football coach and he going to pick them in the senior team after the Asian Games.

Saudi has a lot stronger players and more skilled players who play in the Saudi Pro League, which is a higher-ranked league compared to the Indian Super League, in which the players of Indian U-23 teams play. It is going to be tough for the Indian Football Team captain, Sunil Chhetri, to play every game for 90 minutes because he is now 39 years old and always plays most of the game till 90 minutes.