Syria Triumphs in 4th Intercontinental Cup Football

Tournament Overview and Format

• 4th Intercontinental Cup men's football championship held from September 3-9, 2024
• Organized by All India Football Federation (AIFF)
• Venue: GMC Balayogi Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, Telangana
• Three participating teams: Syria, India, and Mauritius
• Round-robin format: each team played against others once
• FIFA rankings of participants: Syria (93rd), India (124th), Mauritius (179th)
• Syria remained unbeaten throughout the tournament

Final Match Highlights and Results

• Syria defeated defending champions India 3-0 in the last round-robin match

Key moments of the final match:

• • Mahmoud Al-Aswad scored for Syria in the 7th minute
  • Daleho Irandust extended Syria's lead with the second goal
  • Pablo Sabbag sealed the victory with the third goal

Other tournament results:

• • Syria beat Mauritius 2-0
  • India and Mauritius played a goalless draw

Awards and Recognition

• Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy presented the winners' trophy
• Syrian captain Mahmoud Al-Mawas received the trophy
• Al-Mawas also named the Syed Abdul Rahim Player of the Tournament
• The best player award is named after Syed Abdul Rahim, a significant figure in Indian football

India's Performance and Tournament Context

• India, the defending champions, failed to score a single goal in the tournament
• New coach Manolo Márquez led the Indian team
• India's goalless performance highlighted offensive struggles
• The Intercontinental Cup replaced the older Nehru Cup tournament
• Usually features four nations, though only three competed this year
• Serves as a platform for India to face diverse international competition