Asian Cup: India's warm-up tie cancelled

Mumbai: The Indian national team were to play an international friendly against Syria on the Boxing Day and according to the latest information, the match will no longer see the light of the day.

The West Asian nation are also to participate in the biggest football extravaganza of the continent come January and are placed alongside Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Japan.

The last friendly played by the Men in Blues was back on November 18 against a UAE side who were without most of their star players and yet the result was a 5-0 thrashing for India.

The last friendly played by the Men in Blues was back on November 18 against a UAE.

Qatar were to play against India too but the match never became a reality due to logistical issues.

While almost all of the Asian Cup 2011 participants are busy playing the final round of friendlies to get their pre-tournament homework done, India are too pre-occupied playing some club sides in the Middle East.

For sure coach Bob Houghton wouldn't be too pleased with the ongoings and India shall now directly enter into the continental competition and face Australia on January 10, 2011.

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