India’s World Cup hopes ended losing to Qatar’s second-string: India can lament the loss of a potentially historic victory. However, controversial goals do occur in football, and according to the officials, captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu quit while the ball was still in play. Not only did he turn off the defense, but the majority of India’s defense did as well; Qatar did not. What was supposed to be a corner turned into a goal, and the linesman and referee were left without an answer when the mob of Indian players surrounded them asked questions.
Lallianzuala Chhangte’s first-half goal was wiped out by that Qatari goal, which should not have been permitted but was somehow accepted in a World Cup qualifier match without VAR. It also undermined a determined Indian second-half defensive effort. Twelve minutes later, Qatar took the lead and eliminated the Indians from the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.
Indeed, India received a raw deal in Doha. However, after a month-long training, this team decides to step it up against the Asian champions’ second-string squad at home, and all they can muster is a tie and a loss at home versus Afghanistan and Kuwait. Even if they were eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers today, they are solely responsible for their initial circumstances.
The eleven players from Qatar who led their team to a 3-0 victory over India in the opening game of this group in Bhubaneswar were not present on Tuesday. Additionally, the 2024 AFC Asian Cup champions gave the impression that they weren’t really needed throughout the first ten minutes of the half. The fifth minute saw two corners, one of which needed a reflex stop from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s gloves that moved like lightning to keep the dark clouds over the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium at bay. Mehtab Singh’s goal-line clearance in the eleventh minute added credence to the idea that Qatar was just a few minutes away from scoring.
India managed to move past this darkness and dole.
With a bold defensive line and a frantic pressing approach, India was soon playing football on very little space and pressuring Qatar to follow their rules. According to the equation, 22 players in closer proximity to one another, with the blue players pressing harder and giving the ball less time, will result in increasing Qatari errors.
This young side would always be pushed off the ball by India’s aggressive defence whenever they attempted to advance. Even more uncommon than an Indian open play goal, control in the midfield made the unexpected decision to display its magnificent self.
In football, momentum can be a weird thing. Rankings and reputations are all subject to change. India, who is now placed lower than Qatar in the FIFA standings, were not only dominating them on their own ground but also beginning to create opportunities. The greatest of them was a poor attempt by Manvir Singh to run on goal, which should have been the first for India, but Qatari custodian Shehab Ellethy smothered his shot. Chhangte received the rebound and had a chance to score his first goal, but he was tackled at the last second.
Chhangte would get two more opportunities to score, but he would mysteriously be unable to take advantage of them. However, a through ball from deep in the left midfield was eventually played, rewarding the Mizo attacker’s excellent run. All India needed to do was score easily beyond the keeper to take a well-earned lead. The setup was superb, even though the goal was unremarkable. The way that Brandon Fernandes’ feet threaded a tiny pass through the Qatari midfield matched his vision.
India had two shots on goal and 53% of the possession at the half. However, it was a half in which they very definitely ought to have taken their chances and ended the game. Instead, they were forced to endure a torturous second half in which, with little left to lose, Qatar repeatedly broke through their opponent’s half until being overcome, despite the fact that it was an unfair moment that ultimately brought them there.
India had their chances even as the match came to an unsatisfactory conclusion. However, recollections of the defeat to Afghanistan in Guwahati and a persistent lack of goals tightened a noose around this Indian team, which had every opportunity to advance to the WCQ third round but will now have to watch Qatar and Kuwait attempt to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
