GUANGZHOU, Nov 7 (PTI): India put up a valiant fight before going down 0-2 against Kuwait to get off their Asian Games football campaign on a disappointing note here today.
Sukhwinder Singh�s boys were on equal terms against their stronger rivals for most part of the match. They paid the price of conceding an early goal and letting in another via a defensive lapse in the injury time.
Striker Khaled Al Azemi scored both the goals � in the sixth and 91st minutes � for Kuwait at the Huadu Stadium.
India will now have to beat either defending champions Qatar on Tuesday or Singapore on Thursday to have any chance of remaining in contention for a berth in the knock-out round.
The top two teams from each of four groups and the four best third-placed teams will qualify for the Round of 16.
India were in the backfoot as early as the sixth minute with Al Azemi finding the target even as the Indians were trying to settle down. Al Azemi found the target from an opportunistic shot after a Kuwaiti free-kick from outside the box deflected from an Indian defender.
Not to be alarmed by the deficit, the Indian Under-23 side did not allow their rivals to dictate terms on them. They matched their rivals in ball possession and got some gilt-edged chances which though they could not convert.
