India vs Afghanistan, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Highlights: Goals from Akbari and Mukhammad led Afghanistan’s inspired fightback after Sunil Chhetri had given India a narrow 1-0 lead in the first half.
India 1-2 Afghanistan
FULL TIME! What a remarkable comeback from Afghanistan in Guewahati, as they go on to beat India 2-1. For India, Chhetri scored the lone goal in his 150th match, but that went in vain. This defeat means more points slip away from Blue Tigers and their chances of reaching the third round now look slim.
India 1-2 Afghanistan
Five minutes have been added in injury time, but will they gain a crucial goal? One thing is for sure, time is slipping away for the Blue Tigers.
India 1-2 Afghanistan
Penalty for Afghanistan after Gurpreet fouls a player inside the box. Gurpreet receives a yellow card for the offence. And Sharif Mukhammad scores for the visitors!
India 1-1 Afghanistan
India making desperate attempts to retake a lead. Chhangte has his task cut out in Chhetri’s absence and manages to just get hold of the ball and attempts a shot, only to be cleared by the Afghans.
India 1-1 Afghanistan
Right. India need to do something in order to take a lead. Apuia attempts to cross towards Manvir Singh but that is intercepted by the Afghans. Afghanistan’s Ahadi with a counter-attack but Rahul Bhekele clears the ball out of danger.
India 1-1 Afghanistan
70: GOAAL! Just minutes after Chhetri was subbed off, Afghanistan score the equaliser on the back a goal from Akbari. How much of a setback will this be as far as India’s third round hopes are concerned?
India 1-0 Afghanistan
India make a substitution. Sunil Chhetri is subbed off with some 20 minutes left to play, and Chhangte comes in for him.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
Indians are playing some pressing football now, but it remains difficult as ever to break the Afghanistan defence. Affhanistan looking to attack as they bring in Fareed Sadat in for Omid Polpazay.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
An hour into the game and the score remains 1-0 in favour of India. The Indians are poor in passing on this occasion and Sunil Chhetri is far from happy.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
Brandon Fernandes takes a corner kick. Liston Colaco attempts a shot from outside the box but that ends up flying over the cross bar.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
India win a corner kick in Guwahati, aiming to double their lead. However, Anwar Ali ends up being off side and the referee raises the flag as a result.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
Right. The second half is underway in Guwahati. India have a narrow lead of 1-0 but will that be enough? Or will Afghanistan script a fightback? We will find out.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
HALF TIME! India take a 1-0 lead on the back of a Sunil Chhetri goal in the first half. Chhetri, playing his 150th game for India, converts a penalty. The lead is still narrow and India have work to do in the second half.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
Liston Colaco comes close to doubling India’s lead. Colaco, however, fails to control the ball as the Afghans retrieve the ball from him. Three minutes added in injury time.
India 1-0 Afghanistan
India win a penalty! And Sunil Chhetri scores in his 150th game for India. India take a 1-0 lead.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
Brandon Fernandes with a cross towards Sunil Chhetri but Azizi intercepts that for Afghanistan.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
24′: Liston Colaco is fouled by Akbari of Afghanistan and India win a free kick. Brandon Fernandes takes the free kick and while India get nothing out of it, Brandon gets a yellow card after aharsh challenge against Ahadi of Afghanistan.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
Goalkeeper Azizi with a crucial save for Afghanistan at the goal as India make a few inward runs while aiming for a goal. Still 0-0 in Guwahati with all to play for.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
16: Brandon Fernandes takes a corner and finds Rahul Bheke, who heads the ball but only manages to get another corner kick for India.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
Early chance goes begging for Manvir Singh. Manvir, who also missed a few opportunities in the last game aginst the Afghans, cannot make this one count. Chhetri initially attempts a shot but that gets rebounded towards Manvir, whose attempt goes over the cross bar.
India 0-0 Afghanistan
Right. The match is underway in Guwahati! Afghanistan get the match underway. Omid gets the first touch for Afghanistan, who begin from right to left.
Time for the national anthems of both teams. First up, it’s Afghanistan’s followed by India’s. The players of both teams shakehands ahead of the game. The start of the match is just minutes away now.
Afghanistan starting XI: Ovays; Mahboob, Amiri, Sharif, Askar, Mosawer Ahadi, Rahmat Akbari, Jabar Sharza, Taufee Skandari, Zelfagar, Omid
India’s results in second round qualification of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers so far:
Match 1: Beat Kuwait 1-0
Match 2: Lost to Qatar 0-3
Match 3: Drew with Afghanistan 0-0
The stage is set for a special day for Sunil Chhetri
𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚, 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨! 💪🏻🤴
A tremendous achievement for our Captain @chetrisunil11 as he marks his 1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣th appearance for the National Team! 🇮🇳
150 games and still going strong⏳💙#BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/QduVhLGlKq
India starting XI: Gurpreet (GK), Bheke, Subhasish, Anwar, Jeakson, Manvir, Brandon, Chhetri, Colaco, Ralte, Nikhil
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round qualification match between India and Afghanistan. The match will start at 7 pm IST and will be held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Stay tuned for more updates.
India vs Afghanistan preview: Just days after playing out a 0-0 draw in Saudi Arabia, India and Afghanistan meet once again at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, this time in Guwahati on Tuesday. It was a rather disappointing draw for the Blue Tigers last week, especially after opportunities went begging.
Striker Manvir Singh came closing to scoring twice, and even with India in control of the game, Afghanistan too missed out on making use of their opportunities. India, who are in second place in the second-round qualification group with four points, cannot afford to drop any more points. This match will also be Sunil Chhetri’s 150th international appearance.
So far in the second-round qualification, India have won one, lost one and drawn one. They began with a 1-0 win over Kuwait on 16 November and followed it up with a 0-3 defeat to Qatar just a few days later. The draw against Afghanistan only makes India’s job tougher and a negative goal difference of -2 also does not help. Manvir Singh scored India’s only goal pf the campaign so far.
The top two teams from each group advance to the third-round qualification of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, and India have never reached the third round.
Head coach Igor Stimac said ahead of the game on Monday that he intends to leave if India don’t make it to the third round. “If I don’t take India to the third round I will leave, with my pride, with my honour on everything that was done here in the five years of work. I will leave my position to someone else,” said Stimac. In 2023, Stimac had signed a contract extension that would keep him as India head coach till June 2026.
Afghanistan head coach Ashley Westwood had a simple message to his players ahead of the return leg. “Just get the ball in the right areas and play well — that’s all we are concerned about,” said Westwood.
India vs Afghanistan: World Cup Qualifiers probable XI
India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Akash Mishra, Manvir Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Lalengmawia Ralte, Vikram Partap Singh, Nikhil Poojary
Afghanistan: Ovays Azizi, Mahboob Hanifi, Haroon Amiri, Habibulla Askar, Mosawer Ahadi, Rahmat Akbari, Jabar Sharza, Taufee Skandari, Zelfagar Nazary, Omid Popalzay, Sharif Mukhammad
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