Reported By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: November 20, 2023, 21:32 IST
Indian Football Team. (Twitter)
India tackle Qatar on the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha on the again of a vital win in opposition to Kuwait. With the followers’ help and a very good dwelling report, the Indian males’s soccer staff will likely be eager on a constructive consequence in opposition to Qatar, which is able to once more assist them take a more in-depth step to securing their place in the subsequent spherical.
The Indian males’s soccer staff had a dream begin to Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Qualification marketing campaign. A win away to Kuwait means a statistical benefit in opposition to the staff the Blue Tigers are poised to combat over the second spot with, which suggests passage by to the subsequent spherical of qualifiers, in addition to, a assured spot in the subsequent version of the AFC Asian Cup.
Qatar, the defending Asian champions and ranked 61st in the FIFA rankings, is up subsequent. India are ranked 102nd.
India had managed to carry the then newly topped Asian Cup winners Qatar 0-0 in 2019. Qatar did go on to beat India 1-0 in the reverse fixture in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
ALSO READ| ‘Football is a Technical Sport’: Arsene Wenger Arrives in India Ahead of AIFF-FIFA Academy Launch
A win at dwelling in opposition to the facet which will likely be preventing for the place of group toppers is probably not straightforward this time however acquainted situations will certainly assist. Qatar, in their first sport, had displayed rampaging type to outclass Afghanistan 8-1.
The star for Qatar was Almoez Ali, who was the highest scorer for them on the 2019 Asian Cup and would be the focus of their assault once more. Hassan Al-Haydos, Qatar’s most-capped among the many squad, may also pose a severe risk, able to each scoring targets and offering assists.
Sunil Chhetri and his boys will host Qatar on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. India had began their journey this 12 months with the Intercontinental Cup on the similar venue and went on to dominate the sphere.
Despite India’s profitable momentum coming to a halt forward of the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers, Igor Stimac led India to a medical win in their opener. The win ensured India acquired an away win for the primary time because the 2021 SAFF Championship ultimate, a 3-0 victory in opposition to Nepal, in Male, Maldives. The Blue Tigers since then have managed to attract as soon as and misplaced seven away. Contrastingly, India are nonetheless on an 11-sport unbeaten streak at dwelling, with losses coming solely in the King’s Cup and Merdeka Cup.
This sport can also be the final match scheduled for India forward of their AFC Asian Cup marketing campaign. That won’t matter however a win or a draw in opposition to among the finest sides in the continent will certainly go a great distance in proving India’s rising credentials.
Manvir Singh, who had scored the lone objective for India in opposition to Kuwait, could also be out of the match with him lacking from the final follow session earlier than the match.
If the Blue Tigers get a victory in opposition to Qatar, it is going to be their first-ever, having performed three matches, with one ending in a draw.
ALSO READ| Gurpreet Singh Sandhu: The Canopy in the 2019 Qatar Desert Storm
India had suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat in opposition to Qatar again in 1996 and a constructive consequence will imply quite a bit now.
Fans had been the spotlight of their win over Kuwait with Indians outnumbering the house supporters on the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. Back in India, followers in sports activities-loving Bhubaneswar have already made certain of a offered-out venue.
With the followers’ help and a very good dwelling report, the Indian males’s soccer staff will likely be eager on a constructive consequence in opposition to Qatar, which is able to once more assist them take a more in-depth step to securing their place in the subsequent spherical.
