Picture Courtesy: AFC Media

The Indian national football team’s AFC Asian Cup 2019 campaign came to a disappointing conclusion after the Blue Tigers suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bahrain in the dying minutes of their final Group A fixture at the Al-Sharjah Stadium on Monday. After a spirited and gritty display, a 90th-minute penalty broke the hearts of the team and their millions of fans. That loss coupled with Thailand’s 1-1 draw against UAE in the other Group A fixture meant the Blue Tigers finished at the bottom of the table with three points on the board and crashed out of the competition.

However, the disappointing result doesn't dilute the effort and determination that Stephen Constantine’s men showcased throughout the course of the tournament. A comprehensive 4-1 win over an impressive Thailand unit raised more than a few eyebrows and earned the Blue Tigers plenty of plaudits. Playing hosts UAE next, the Blue Tigers showed immense desire and determination to rattle their illustrious opponents before eventually going down 2-0. The narrow 1-0 loss to Bahrain in the final match sealed the Blue Tigers fate in the AFC Asian Cup, but the hard work and heart shown by the team didn't go unnoticed.

Following the match, the entire nation, along with fans and pundits, took to Twitter to applaud the Blue Tigers’ warrior-like effort on the grand stage. Here's a look at how everyone reacted.

Paul Masefield hailed the effort and urged the team to look forward to a brighter future.

Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) teams, too, pitched in with their own special messages. Two-time champions Chennaiyin FC were among the first ones to urge the Blue Tigers to keep their chin up and other teams joined in soon enough.

Multiple fan groups and thousands of individual fans, too, raised a toast to the Blue Tigers, touting the AFC Asian Cup 2019 run as a great success story.

Related tags:

2018-2019