New Delhi, Aug 25 - Kyrgyzstan put up an inspiring performance to hold higher ranked Lebanon 1-1 in the ONGC Nehru Cup football tournament here Tuesday evening.

Anton Zemlianuhin opened the account for Kyrgyzstan in the 48th minute while Abbas Ahmad Atwi fired the equaliser for Lebanon eight minutes later.

The result should benefit defending champions India in their bid to qualify for the title clash.

Syria are the group toppers with six points from two matches while Lebanon, with a game in hand, have four points from three matches.

India and Sri Lanka, both with two games to go, have three points each from two matches while Kyrgyzstan are lying at the bottom of the table with one point from three matches.

Lebanon now have to win their last game against tournament favourites Syria to qualify for the final. And India would be hoping to get full points from their Wednesday's match against Sri Lanka and a draw against Syria.

A win against Kyrgyzstan, the lowest ranked team in the tournament, would have made life easy for Lebanon. But the Central Asian nation played a better game right from the start and were unlucky to end up splitting points.