India suffered a 2-0 defeat to Jamaica, who are set to play the third-place match in the Unity Cup

India suffered a 2-0 defeat to Jamaica (Photo: @IndianFootball on X) NEW DELHI: India’s Unity Cup 2026 campaign suffered a setback after the Blue Tigers lost 2-0 to Jamaica in the semi-finals at The Valley in London on Wednesday. Faced with a physically stronger and higher ranked Jamaican side, India showed flashes of promise but struggled to convert possession into clear-cut chances as the Reggae Boyz comfortably booked their place in the final against Nigeria.Jamaica struck early through Courtney Clarke in the eighth minute after a quick counter-attack exposed the Indian defence. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu first blocked the first danger ball but Clarke collected the loose ball outside the box and curled a brilliant finish into the top corner to give Jamaica the lead.India tried to respond with a more aggressive approach in the second half. Lallianzuala Chhangte, Ryan Williams and Farukh Choudhary tried to stretch the Jamaican defence, while Sandesh Jhingan stood out with a series of crucial saves at the back. In the 53rd minute, Zhangte even found the net after a loop inside the box, but the effort was ruled out for offside.Khalid Jamil introduced fresh legs, including debutant PN Noufal and Vikram Partap Singh, as India looked for an equaliser. However, Jamaica’s pace and composure again proved decisive when Kaheim Dixon doubled the lead in the 78th minute with a brilliant solo effort, weaved around defenders and fired into the far corner.Despite the defeat, India’s defense proved resilient against the 71 Jamaicans for long periods. However, concerns remain over the injury to Ryan Williams, who had to be substituted in the second half.India will now face Zimbabwe in the play-off for third place, while Jamaica advance to the 2026 Unity Cup final against Nigeria.