Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
In our continuing series, the-afc.com rewinds 50 years to 1964 when host nation Israel won the AFC Asian Cup.
The third edition of the AFC Asian Cup finals saw the tournament move to the Middle East for the first time with hosts Israel looking to follow in the footsteps of reigning champions Korea Republic and win the trophy on home soil.
Israel opened the tournament on May 26, 1964 against inaugural hosts Hong Kong who, after missing out on the 1960 finals, returned to the AFC Asian Cup after seeing off South Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand in the Central Zone qualifiers held in Saigon in D ecember 1963.
And Hong Kong came within a whisker of denying the hosts an opening victory in the tournament curtain-raiser with Mordechai Spiegler – who had scored in Israel’s 3-0 friendly in Hong Kong on his international debut on January 2, 1964 – breaking the deadlock with 76 minutes played at the Ramat Gan Stadium.
The following day in Haifa, Korea Republic began their quest for a hat-trick of AFC Asian Cup titles against India and things couldn’t have started any worse for the defending champions with K. Appalaraju putting the South Asians 1-0 up with just three minutes on the clock before Jarnail Singh’s 60th minute strike sealed a famous victory for the AFC Asian Cup newcomers.
India couldn’t follow up their ground breaking win in their next match against Israel with Spiegler getting his second of the tournament from the penalty spot before Yohai Aharoni supplemented the Russia-born striker’s 27th minute opener with the hosts’ second after 77 minutes.
Korea Republic picked up their first win of the tournament in their next match as Seung Ok-park’s 74th minute strike saw the defending champions edge Hong Kong, who let slip a 39th minute lead to go down 3-1 to India in their third and final match.
Li Kwok-keung opened the scoring with the break at the Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa approaching only for Inder Singh to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Sukumar Samajapati ave India the lead on the hour mark, before Chuni Goswami’s 77th minute goal sealed India’s second Asian Cup victory.
The win put India level on four points with Israel, who went into their final match knowing that a heavy defeat to Korea Republic could see the East Asians claim a hat-trick of continental titles that seemed highly unlikely after their opening loss to India.
But despite Huh Yoon-jung’s 79th minute goal ensuring a dramatic finish at the Ramat Gan Stadium, first-half goals from Moshe Leon (20th) and Gideon Tish (38th) proved decisive as Israel ended Korea Republic’s reign as Asian champions.
The defeat left the Koreans having to settle for third with India marking their first AFC Asian Cup appearance with a creditable runners-up finish behind Israel.