Last Updated: November 21, 2023, 21:10 IST
Qatar beat India 3-0 at Kalinga Stadium. (AIFF Image)
Mustafa Tarek Meshaal, Almoez Ali and Yusuf Abdurisag scored as Qatar defeated India 3-0 in their World Cup qualifier.
The Indian males’s soccer group misplaced to Qatar 0-3 in their Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Qualification conflict on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
Mustafa Tarek Meshaal, Almoez Ali and Yusuf Abdurisag scored the objectives.
Igor Stimac made as many as 5 adjustments to his taking part in XI that began the sport in opposition to Kuwait. Gurpreet Singh, Akash Mishra, Sahal Abdul Samad, Naorem Mahesh and Manvir Singh. Subhasish Bose, Anirudh Thapa Udanta Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Amrinder Singh being those changing them.
The Indian coach had indicated that he would possibly alter his ways and go for various gamers in totally different positions, relying after all on the opponent.
Lucas Mendes, made his debut for Qatar, with the previous Brazilian being naturalized after finishing 5 years of his residency in the nation.
A tifo unfurled by the Indian followers had a easy message. Believe. Roar.
Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, walked out to greet the gamers, with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey and basic secretary NA Haris.
Qatar began exerting stress from the get-go. In the second minute itself, Almoez Ali discovered the ball at his toes from a poor kick from Amrinder in objective. Even although his preliminary cross was handled, Akram Afif crept up on the far put up however his effort was simply huge.
Carlos Queiroz didn’t have to attend lengthy to see his facet get the lead. Moustafa Tarek Mashal tucked residence a bouncing ball in the penalty field. India have been down inside 4 minutes.
When India tried to interrupt free from they opted for lengthy balls as Qatar flooded the midfield with our bodies. Udanta, Chhangte and Chhetri did attempt to chase down the balls or have been simply muscled off the ball.
Sandesh went on to the referee’s e book for unintentionally elbowing Boualem Khoukhi in the sixteenth minute. The warning didn’t hinder the Indian defender’s zeal as he put in an outstretched dive to clear a harmful ball barely 4 minutes later.
A lull had unfold by the hundreds of supporters on the Kalinga Stadium. Stoppages in play with gamers getting injured and selecting to remain on the bottom didn’t assist. Indian gamers had been rising in confidence. In the thirty fifth minute, India managed to string collectively some lovely passes, with Chhetri, Udanta, Thapa and Poojary combining effectively on the precise. The intricate passes didn’t consequence in a lot when an onrushing Apuia skied the reduce-again.
India, although have been on the ascendancy. Chhangte’s cross in the fortieth didn’t discover any Indian toes as Chhetri’s relentless urgent yielded an opportunity that Thapa out inches huge in the forty second.
The half ended 1-0. As quickly as the second half resumed, Qatar made it 2-0.
Khouki put the ball in the field with a deft dink as Akram Afif’s fast shot was saved by Amrinder. Moez Ali although coolly transformed the rebound in the forty sixth minute. Naorem Singh had changed Udanta.
India slowly acquired into the sport once more and regained their form.
Stimac determined to carry in Sahal in place of Thapa. Two minutes later in the sixty fifth, he discovered the ball on the left from Suresh, with solely the keeper to beat. His effort although was simply huge once more.
In the 73rd minute, Sahal was once more on the coronary heart of the transfer as he managed the ball with a swift flip and slipped in Naorem, who couldn’t join accurately below stress.
Come the eightieth minute, the beating drums had misplaced their rhythm and the chants from the stands, their voice. Even the gamers on the sphere have been going by the motions.
Chhangte and Chhetri got here off in the 83rd as Ishan Pandita and Rahul KP took their place. The solely ones making some noise in the bottom have been the handful of Qatari followers current.
They acquired one other objective to cheer in the eighty fifth minute as the Indian defence was discovered napping with Yusuf Abdurisag discovering the again of the web.
