Qatar proved their superiority and better rating with a simple 0-3 win in opposition to India in their second FIFA World Cup 2026 Round 2 Qualifier game on Tuesday, November 21. A defeat additionally produced India’s first worldwide defeat at residence in 2023 and first loss in the crucial qualifiers.Â
Ranked 61st in the lads’s workforce standings, Qatar dominated in each division from the very first-minute strike from Akram Afif. Moustafa Mashal, the star ahead Almoez Ali and substitute winger Yousuf Abdurisag had been on the goal for the visiting workforce at Bhubaneshwar’s Kalinga Stadium.
Qatar entered the game after their 8-1 thrashing in opposition to Afghanistan in the opening game of the Round 2 Group A. India additionally registered a 1-0 victory in opposition to Kuwait in their first match however had been no match in opposition to Qatar regardless of having a house benefit.
India head coach Igor Stimac began with no star midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad and the no.1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who famously turned out as a hero when each groups final confronted one another.Â
Akram Afif ran the present in the primary half with bein constant risk down the left facet. He missed a simple alternative to rating the aim in the opening minute however saved discovering gaps in the ultimate third. Qatar’s opening aim got here from a nook after Udanta Singh’s poor clearance on the fringe of the skin field. Mustafa Mashal thumped his effort previous the Indian defence to give his facet a lead in the fourth minute.
Qatar recorded eight corners in the primary 35 minutes however India loved some possession in the ultimate ten minutes. Star midfielder Anirudh Thapa created the primary probability with sharp dribbling expertise contained in the field however Apuia Ralte missed an open alternative with an effort going broad of the online.
Almoez Ali scored the second aim of the game in the primary few moments into the second half. Amarinder Singh failed to gather the quick from Afif and a misplaced ball was simply transformed by Almoez with no Indian defender to cowl for the goalkeeper.
Indian midfielders created some probabilities in the second half with 4 photographs however all had been off course. Samad got here as an alternative and noticed his effort missed by a millimetre in the sixty fifth minute. Qatar completed the game with younger winger Yousuf Abdurisag scoring the third aim of the game in the 86th minute.Â
India Starting XI: Amrinder Singh, Rahul Bheke, Subhashish Bose, Sandesh Jhingan, Anirudh Thapa, Suresh Singh, Apuia Ralte, Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Chhangte, Nikhil Poojary
Qatar Starting XI: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel, Ahmed Fathi, Hassan Al Haydos, Akram Afif, Lucas Mendes, Homam Al Amin, Boualem Khoukhi, Almoez Ali, Tamim Mansour, Moustafa Mashal
