With this defeat, while India finished at the bottom of Group G, they also played spoilsport for hosts China PR, to beat India 2-1 in an earlier match. It was a do-or-die match for both sides; a win by two or more goals would guarantee UAE the top spot in Group G of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 20
A win for UAE will take them to the top of the group since they drew 1-1 in their first game against China PR, while India will have to win by a big margin to keep alive their hopes of qualifying as one of the top four second-placed teams in the competition.
The India U23 side has been hard at work ever since arriving at the Dalian Sports Centre four days ago for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, even though their scheduled opening match against the Maldives was cancelled at the last moment, leaving them to adjust themselves to the revised fixtu
The meet has now been reduced to a three-team group featuring India, and UAE and hosts China PR. India will now play their opening fixture of the tournament against China PR on September 9, 2023, in Dalian Suoyuwan Stadium at 5:05 PM IST.