Early on Thursday, June 15, Lebanon and India drew (0-0) in the 2023 Intercontinental Football Cup. Thus Lebanon remained unbeaten in this competition (1 win, 2 draws). On the first day of the tournament, Friday 9 June, Lebanon beat Vanuatu (3-1) then, Monday 12 June, was neutralized by Mongolia (0-0). As for India (host country), it achieved near perfection (7 points) in the group stage of this round robin – the Round Robin – after its wins over Vanuatu (1-0) on Monday and over Mongolia (2-0) Friday, conceding only Thursday’s draw is against Lebanon (5 points), considered his most serious opponent.

Early Thursday morning, in the afternoon, Vanuatu who had lost their previous two matches got its first win by beating Mongolia (1-0). Asian countries stay on 1 point while Oceania islands gain 3 points. If Lebanon is beaten by India, Mongolia is the only team capable of blocking its way to the final at Cedars. However, Vanuatu’s success combined with the Lebanese draw saved Cedars’ life. That’s how it is on Sunday 18th June, India and Lebanon will meet in the final of the tournament.

The Intercontinental Football Cup, also known as the Intercontinental Heroes Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a four-nation tournament now in its third edition. Previously called the Nehru Cup, the tournament is organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). This year it took place at the Kalinga Stadium in the city of Bhubaneswar, India. The competition is contested in the FIFA international window by teams from two different confederations. The four countries compete in a phase called Round Robin and the best two (earning the most points) play in the final. This year, apart from India, Lebanon and Mongolia from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as well as the island of Vanuatu from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), participated in the competition. North Korea won the previous edition in 2019, defeating Tajikistan (1-0) in the final.

Here are also the FIFA rankings, as of April 6, of the national teams competing in the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023:

1. Lebanon 99th

2. India 101

3. The 164th Vanuatu

4. 183rd Mongolia.