India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers : Qatar dominates with 3-0 victory

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India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

India faced a tough challenge from the Asian Cup champions Qatar in their second match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Second Round Qualifiers. The Blue Tigers conceded early in both halves, and one late on, as they succumbed to a 0-3 defeat at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday night.

Match Summary

Qatar started the match on the front foot, as they pressed India high and created several chances. In the 12th minute, they broke the deadlock, as Abdulaziz Hatem scored with a low shot from outside the box that beat India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. India tried to respond, but they struggled to keep possession and create clear-cut opportunities. Qatar doubled their lead in the 48th minute, as Almoez Ali headed in a cross from Akram Afif. India showed some resilience, as they defended bravely and tried to hit Qatar on the counter-attack. However, Qatar sealed the win in the 90th minute, as Hassan Al-Haydos scored from the penalty spot after Pritam Kotal fouled Boualem Khoukhi in the box.

Match Statistics

Qatar dominated the match in terms of possession, shots, and passes. They had 72% of the ball, and took 27 shots, of which 11 were on target. India, on the other hand, had only 28% of the ball, and took 4 shots, of which none were on target. Qatar also completed 614 passes, with an accuracy of 88%, while India completed 236 passes, with an accuracy of 68%.

Match Reaction

India’s coach Igor Stimac praised Qatar’s performance, and admitted that his team was outplayed by a much-fancied opponent. He said, “Qatar are a formidable opposition, but the margin of our defeat was very much a making of our own. We made too many mistakes, and gave away the ball too easily. We need to improve our passing, our movement, and our composure. We have a lot of work to do, but we are not giving up. We will learn from this match, and try to do better in the next one”.

Qatar’s coach Felix Sanchez expressed his satisfaction with his team’s display, and complimented India’s fighting spirit. He said, “We are happy with the result, and the way we played. We controlled the game, and created a lot of chances. We scored three goals but we could have scored more. India showed some resistance and they did not give up. and they have some good players. We wish them all the best for the rest of the qualifiers.

Group A Standings

As a result, Qatar leads Group A with 6 points after two matches, while India is second with 3 points from two. Kuwait and Afghanistan are third and fourth respectively with 0 points from 1 match each. The top two teams from each group will go for third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Finals.

Next Matches

India will face Afghanistan in their next match on November 25, 2023 at the Central Republican Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Qatar will face Kuwait in their next match on November 26, 2023 at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City, Kuwait and Both matches will start at 7 PM IST.