NEW DELHI: India played out a goalless draw against Lebanon in the Intercontinental Cup football tournament held in Bhubaneswar.
Head coach Igor Stimac opted for a wholesale rotation of the starting lineup, with senior players like Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu being benched.
Sandesh Jhingan captained the team in Chhetri's absence.
Although both teams had already secured their places in the tournament final, India missed several scoring opportunities during the match.
Anirudh Thapa, introduced in the 82nd minute, had a chance to put India ahead early in the game but failed to convert. Ashique Kuruniyan also missed a good chance to score.
The missed chances meant that the first half ended goalless. The pattern continued in the second half, with both teams unable to find the target.
Despite making changes in an attempt to break the deadlock, neither India nor Lebanon could score a goal.
India had previously won their matches against Mongolia (2-0) and Vanuatu (1-0), while Lebanon had a victory against Vanuatu (3-1) and a draw against Mongolia (0-0).
Although the draw against Lebanon resulted in a goalless match, it did not affect the teams' positions in the tournament as they had already secured their spots in the final.
