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Updated : Jun 11, 2024 23:48 IST
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Gurpreet Singh Sandhu leds India in its first match after Sunil Chhetri’s retirement | Photo Credit: AIFF
Welcome to Sportstar’s highlights of the Qatar vs India FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier from the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. This was Aneesh Dey taking you through all the pre-match buildup and minute-by-minute updates of the match.
Ahmed Al-Rawi scored a late winner after Yousef Aymen’s controversial equaliser as Qatar beat India 2-1 in the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
It is all over at Doha. Qatar wins 2-1 against India and the Blue Tigers’ journey to reach the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers comes to a controversial end.
There is no doubt that India has been a victim of some poor refereeing after Qatar got its equaliser most controversially. It remains to be seen how India protests against the poor decision. But as of now, it is the end of the road for Igor Stimac and his men.
India, with the loss, also fails to get automatic qualification to the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
India booking: Anwar Ali sees a yellow card late in the match.
Kuwait leads Afghanistan by a 1-0 lead and this means that unless India scores two goals, it is Qatar and Kuwait who will reach the third round of qualifications.
Sahal with a chance to take a shot at goal. However, he is challenged and he takes a tumble inside the box. The Indian players look at the referee for a possible penalty but the referee waves play to go on.
India booking: Rahul Bheke sees a yellow card
Seven minutes added at the end of the second-half!
India subs: IN- Nandhakumar, Edmund OUT- Chhangte, Jay Gupta
The night turns bad to worse for India – Alrawi gets the ball at the edge of the Indian box, he cuts in and goes for a curler. He catches his shot very well and Gurpreet is comprehensively beaten. Now, as things stand, India’s FIFA World Cup qualification journey is coming to an end.
Big big controversy as Yousef Aymen puts the ball inside the net. The Indian players thought that the ball had gone out of play after Gurpreet had saved a header from Aymen and the ball trickled out of play. But the whistle does not come. Al Hassan pulls the ball out of play and squares it to Aymen, who puts it inside the net. The Indian players had completely stopped playing.
Now, the Indian players protest, saying the ball had gone out of play. However, the referee consults his assistant and the goal stands. Qatar gets the equaliser. There is no VAR and the decision stands.
Multiple replays follow the incident and the ball is clearly out of play. The entire ball was out of play. India has been a victim of some terrible refereeing.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 second round qualifier between India and Qatar was marred by controversy as the host’s equaliser looked to have arrived after the ball had rolled out of play.
India has an excellent chance to counter, with the Qatar defence left exposed. Sahal did his part, getting the better of his marker and passing it to Liston who was the last man. However, Liston is flagged for offside and an excellent move comes to an end.
Qatar sub: IN- Alyazidi OUT- Irfan
Alrawi swings another cross inside the box from the left flank but Gurpreet will pluck those out all day long.
India is not pushing as aggressively as it was doing in the first half. While that is understandable, it might be risky ploy given Qatar’s quality. Right now, India has all but Chhangte back defending inside its own half.
India subs: IN- Sahal, Colaco OUT- Brandon, Rahim
Mehtab almost pulls off the perfect pass to Chhangte but the latter cannot jump high enough to get a touch as the ball ends up with Nader Ali.
A deep cross comes in from the left but Gurpreet leaps as high as he can to collect the ball.
Moments later, another low cross comes in from the right flank, but Gurpreet is alert once again to anticipate the move and collect the ball.
India booking: Brandon Fernandes is the first Indian player to receive a yellow card as he is booked for his challenge on Farahat.
Chance – Another chance for Qatar as Gouda makes a run at the back post from a corner. He gets a free header at the back post but cannot keep his effort on target as his touch bounces off the surface and goes above Gurpreet’s goal.
Anwar Ali tries to see the ball out of play but Khalid Ali keeps the pressure on and wins the ball. He makes his way inside the box and the India defence looks all over the place. The ball is squared to Alhassan, who goes for a first-time shot. However, Mehtab is there to make an goal-saving block for the second time in the match.
Jay Gupt wins the ball and it is passed to Chhangte. He looks to start an attack and looks for Rahim Ali, who had made a supporting run. However, the pass is not accurate and Qatar regains possession.
India loses possession cheaply near its box and India almost pays as a low cross is flashed across the face of the goal. Gurpreet makes the dive but the ball is always going out. However, the Indian captain is not happy with his players and says that the cross should not have come at all.
Qatar sub: IN- Ali Nader OUT- Ellethy
Head coach Bartolome Marquez going for a change between the sticks at the start of the second-half.
India leading 1-0 against Qatar as the second-hllf kicks-off!
Lallianzuala Chhangte’s goal keeps India in a 1-0 lead against Qatar in this FIFA World Cup qualifier. If the scoreline remains the same, India will qualify for the third round for the first time in its history.
A big second-half coming ahead. Stay tuned as we will be bringing you minute-by-minute updates from this clash. We will be back after a short break.
Qatar booking: Alganehi sees a yellow card right before the half-time. Earlier, Alrawi had also been booked. So two of Qatar’s attackers are on a yellow now.
India has a good chance to put the Qatar defence under pressure from the corner. Brandn delivers, which is cleared by the home team.
A moment of concern for Mehtab Singh as he winces in pain and goes down to the ground after a challenge. He gets medical attention and by the looks of it, should be able to continue. The magic spray does its work.
Two minutes added at the end of the first-half!
Rahim Ali delivers a cross from the left flank, hoping to find a teammate but Ellethy collects the ball without fuss.
India looks to finish the half strongly and keeps Qatar under pressure by keeping the ball in the final third. The Blue Tigers are desperately searching for an opening for a second goal.
Qatar looks for an immediate response with a shot from a distance. Gurpreet sees it all the way and palms the ball to safety. India cannot get complacent here. A one-goal lead is never a safe bet.
India has scored from open play and the goal drought is finally over. After a couple of failed attacks, where Chhangte and Rahim had scoring opportunities, India kept the pressure on. Brandon finds Chhangte with what looks like an unintentional pass from the edge of the box. The Mizo forward keeps his calm and slides in to slot the ball inside the net., past a diving Ellethy.
Manvir is one-on-one with Ellethy and has an excellent opportunity to bury the ball at the back of the net. Manvir goes for a low shot, but the Qatar keeper saves it. The rebound falls to Chhangte, who tries to shoot at goal but an excellent tackle takes the ball away from him.
Alrawi comes one-on-one with Bheke. The Qatar No. 10 looks to get the better of Bheke with the help of some trickery but Bheke goes for some no-nonsense defending to snatch the ball from Alrawi and thwart the Qatari attack.
Chhangte is fouled and India has a freekick in a good position. Brandon will take it and will look for a good delivery.
Brandon delivers – it is a decent cross, which is dealt by the Qatar backline.
Rahim Ali does well to get past his marker on the left and cross low across the face of the goal. It is an excellent delivery but there isn’t any Indian player to attack the cross.
Suresh Singh Wangjam has a great chance after Qatar loses the ball the back after an Indian press. However, the flag eventually goes up for offside.
There is a loose ball and Jay Gupta almost outruns Gouda to get to it. However, to Elliethy’s credit, he plays the role of a sweeper keeper perfectly and comes out to clear the ball to safety.
The Indians cannot seem to have a decent spell of possession – Qatar’s pressing has been top-notch till now.
Alrawi is through on goal and he shoots hard and low, aiming for the far-corner. However, he cannot hit the target from a tight angle. Gurpreet had dived and by the looks of it, had his goal covered.
Alhasan gets the ball in the final third and has plenty of time on the ball after not being closed down by the Indian players. He spots Shehata’s run inside the box and tries to find him with a lob. However, Gurpreet does well to anticipate the danger and comes off his line to collect the ball.
CHANCE- Gouda has an excellent first touch to collect the ball on the right flank. Jay Gupta tries to close him down but the Qatar No. 7 manages to brush him aside and make his way inside the box. He spots Alrawi in the middle and finds him with the cutback. Alrawi goes for a first-time shot but Mehtab Singh puts his body on the line and makes an excellent goal-saving block.
Qatar looks to penetrate as a cross comes in from the left flank but Gurpreet times his jump to perfection and collect the ball and thwart any possible danger.
Alrawi finds himself with time and space and goes for a shot from outside the box. But the effort is nowhere near hitting the target and the ball goes out of play.
India is yet to make any penetration inside the final third. The Blue Tigers have found it difficult to keep possession, especially in midfield and will look to have longer spells with the ball.
Jay Gupta does well to keep pressure on the left touchline and he gets the ball. He passes early, intending to find Rahim Ali. However, the pass is overhit and Qatar keeper Ellethy comes out to collect the ball.
SAVE – The corner kick is delivered at the near post and Mohialdin flicks the ball towards goal. He catches the flick well but captain Gurpreet does well to make the save.
Qatar makes an early entry inside the Indian box but Rahul Bheke is alert enough to anticipate the danger and send the ball out for a corner.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round AFC qualifier between Qatar and India is underway at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
The Blue Tigers need at least a draw to keep qualification hopes alive. This is India’s first match after Sunil Chhetri’s retirement.
After drawing Kuwait on Thursday, India will travel to World No.34 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 champion, Qatar, in its last second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on June 11.
Ellethy (GK); Farhat, Gouda, Al Hadhrami; Mohialdin, Mohammadali, Al Ahrak, Irfan; Al Rawi, Al Ganehi
With Sunil Chhetri, India’s highest goal scorer, donning the national colours for the last time, head coach Igor Stimac announced the squad for the next match against Qatar, with four forwards.
Four days ago, Sunil Chhetri left on his terms. On Tuesday, it could be Igor Stimac’s turn to leave, after putting his head on the block. But more importantly, India’s game against Qatar presents the last opportunity for it to make the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, against an under-strength host nation, it’s all-or-nothing for the Blue Tigers.
India has only two scenarios left to ensure qualification: a win against Qatar or if both the remaining matches in Group A end as draws.
Read full preview HERE
India’s game against Qatar presents the last opportunity for it to make the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
When and where will the Qatar vs India, 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier kick-off?
The final FIFA World Cup qualifiers group stage match between Qatar and India will kick-off at 9:15 PM IST on Wednesday, June 11, at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Where to watch Qatar vs India, 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match in India?
The Qatar vs India FIFA World Cup qualifier match can be watched LIVE on the FanCode app and website.
The India and Qatar clash will not be live telecast on any TV channel in India.
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