India took the lead via a 75th-minute own goal courtesy of Afghanistan goalkeeper Ovays Azizi, but the Afghans pulled back their equaliser minutes later, through their teenage sensation Hossein Zamani. A third-place finish in Group E means that India move directly to the third round of qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

India head coach Igor Stimac made two changes to the side that started for the Blue Tigers against Bangladesh in the previous game, with Bipin Singh and Udanta Singh making way for Rahul Bheke and Ashique Kuruniyan.

The Blue Tigers got out off the blocks well right from kick-off as Manvir Singh soared up the right flank, made his way into the Afghanistan box and pulled the trigger. However, his shot was parried out for a corner by Afghan goalkeeper Ovays Azizi. The resulting corner by Brandon was cleared, but it fell kindly to Glan Martins on the edge of the area, whose shot was eventually blocked.

Afghanistan also attempted to create their chances in the opening exchanges as David Ahmed Najem found some space on the right and whipped in a few crosses, but India custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was alert to the danger and came out to collect.

India started to grow into the game soon enough and Manvir once again raced down the right and played it through to an overlapping Suresh Singh Wangjam, who earned a corner for the side. Sandesh Jhingan managed to get a firm header onto the Brandon corner but the effort was cleared off the line by Afghan defender Haroon Amiri.

Glan Martins was putting in a lot of hard work in the middle of the park as he managed to make a crucial interception in the attacking third, before passing it to Sunil Chhetri, whose shot was again saved by Azizi.

Brandon Fernandes was his usual self throughout the first 45 minutes, threading his passes to the attacking options again and again. A free-kick in the middle of the park around the 20th minute turned into a chance when Brandon chipped it towards Chhetri inside the box, but Masih Saighani was alert to the danger and cleared the ball.

Five minutes later, Ashique managed to beat Amiri down the left flank and dashed into the box, before attempting a grounded cutback aimed at Chhetri. Saighani was once again up to the task and intercepted the ball before any damage could be inflicted.

A little after the half-hour mark, Afghanistan made an inroad into the India half, as Omid Popalzay was played through down the right. But Blue Tigers centre-back Chinglensana Singh came across and bundled into the midfielder, picking up a yellow card for his efforts to stop the attack.

Afghanistan started building up a bit of momentum and earned another free-kick in the Indian third of the pitch, a few minutes later. Popalazay floated the ball in towards Amiri, but Jhingan was on hand to get in the way and avert the danger.

With a little under five minutes of regulation time of the first half left on the clock, Afghan forward Amir Sharifi manufactured some space outside the Indian penalty area and pulled the trigger. However, his left-footed effort was straight at Gurpreet, who smothered the ball comfortably.

At the stroke of the 45th minute, Suresh made a crucial interception in the middle of the park, to catch the Afghan defence off-guard. The young midfielder carried the ball to the edge of the Afghan area, before playing it through to Manvir. However, Afghan keeper Azizi came out bravely to foil the opportunity, as the referee soon blew his whistle to end the first half.

After the changeover, Afghanistan looked to string a few passes together in the Indian half but ended up giving away a chance to their opponents. Ashique intercepted a pass in the middle of the park and raced up the middle, looking to run at the Afghan defenders. He had options in the form of Chhetri on the left and Manvir on the right but was tackled by Amiri.

As India began to settle down in the second half, the Blue Tigers started to play the ball out of the back. A little under 10 minutes into the second half, one particular chance was created out of a string of passes that started all the way from the keeper.

Gurpreet found Suresh in the defensive half, as the latter played it to Bheke with his first touch. Under pressure, the fullback struck the ball down the line to put Manvir through on the right flank once again but the cross was stopped.

Minutes later, Gurpreet made a crucial save to keep the scores at 0-0. Saighani hooved a long ball to Popalzay, who chested it down and volleyed it from outside the area, but Gurpreet was up to the task, as he plucked the ball out of the air.

Amiri stood in India’s way once again on the hour mark, when he headed way a free-kick by Brandon, that was aimed at Manvir, who had shaken off his marker inside the box, and looked set for a free header.

A bit of dogged work in the opposition third by Ashique meant that the winger found some real estate just outside the Afghan penalty area, but Amiri soon came across and bundled him over, taking a yellow card to avert the immediate danger. Sunil Chhetri stood over the free-kick, as he curled it inches over the bar.

That was the last action of the day for the Blue Tigers captain, as Igor Stimac brought on Liston Colaco in place of the 36-year-old. Meanwhile, Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia) also came on for Brandon Fernandes.

India’s perseverance finally paid off in the 75th minute, when Ashique and Manvir worked some space on the left flank, as the former had the time and space to send in a measured cross towards Liston inside the box. Afghan keeper Azizi fumbled the ball while collecting it, and turned it into his own net.

India thought they had their second goal a few minutes later, when Ashique again weaved his way into the box and sent in a cross, for Liston, who turned it in. However, the referee had already blown his whistle, as he had adjudged Ashique to have carried the ball over the goalline. That was Ashique’s last action of the night, as he was replaced by Bipin Singh.

Afghanistan soon went on the attack, looking for the equaliser, and found it through their teenage sensation Hossein Zamani, who came on in the second half. Receiving a cut-back from Noor Husin, Zamani curled a right-footer into the Indian goal, off the far post.

Manvir had a chance late in the second half, when he got his head onto a ball whipped in from the left by Subhasish, but his header went over the crossbar. Both the sides had a few last exchanges in added time, but the clock soon ran down, as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

India XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose; Glan Martins, Brandon Fernandes (Lalengmawia Ralte 62’), Suresh Singh Wangjam; Manvir Singh, Sunil Chhetri (C) (Liston Colaco 69’), Ashique Kuruniyan (Bipin Singh 81’).

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A couple of days after Sunil scored a brace against Bangladesh to help India win 2-0, Sunil averred: “I tell the boys and myself to just turn up and give everything on the pitch, and then you will take whatever result comes. You saw Glan (Martins) and Suresh (Singh Wangjam) in the last game, that’s the kind of energy you want in games. They did make mistakes but their energy, fighting spirit, talking and listening — that’s all you need.”

“You might not get as many moments of individual brilliance and technical play like through-balls but if we can fight like how bees fight by coming together — that’s the foundation. The opponent should think that we will be annoying and fighting and defending as a team, and that is the first step. Slowly, other things will come from there,” Chhetri quipped.

‘BOYS ARE HUNGRY AND VERY FIT’

The talismanic forward, who has now taken his international tally of goals to 74 in 117 matches, spoke about how the players are “comfortable” with the style of football that head coach Igor Stimac wants them to play and praised the fitness levels in the team.

“The players are comfortable with the style the head coach wants us to play. It is a very simplified one and we need continuous training and matches to keep building on it,” he stated.

“We want to see more passing, as it would mean running less and more 1v1 situations. The players want that too and are capable of it, but it needs time. A lot of players are comfortable with the ball and it will definitely come soon.”

“Our next step from here is to be braver with the ball. We understand defending, communicating and taking care of ourselves. Everyone in the team is physically really fit and we are a very young side with many new boys. The head coach encourages us to keep the ball and the way forward is to keep the ball more and look to increase the number of passes and organized attacks.”

‘RELAX, KEEP YOUR HEAD HIGH’

Chhetri added that the team will continue to move forward together in their progression and mentioned that the whole team — players, coaches and technical staff are “in sync” with one another.

“Against Bangladesh, we were hurried at times in the final third and we will surely learn with more matches. For example, Manvir was a bit upset after missing one chance. I told him to relax and keep his head up, and that we all will miss chances.

“The boys are ready now — they are hungry, their GPS numbers are very good and they work very hard. The coaches and technical staff are in sync with the players and the next step is passing more, but it will not happen overnight,” he opined.

‘DEMAND FITNESS FROM ALL THE PLAYERS’

The 36-year-old, who made his Blue Tigers debut in 2005 against Pakistan, also touched upon how he guides the youngsters in the team on how to focus on oneself and the importance of being fit and taking care of one’s body.

“I advise youngsters to think about what you can do and not think about what others are saying. I learnt this early in my life — if you are more focused and thinking about yourself, you won’t get time to worry about what others are saying and thinking,” he maintained.

“I stress on fitness because it does not require brains. Doing the right exercises, avoiding the wrong kind of food, taking good sleep, drinking enough water — all these are easy and that is why I demand high fitness. I tell them that you have been chosen from 1.4 billion people, so it should be enough motivation to stay disciplined.”

“Bhaichung-bhai (Bhaichung Bhutia) always told me that you have to try and be a good example, and that is what I try to do. Being punctual, eating well, taking care of my body — the boys can see it and it is not difficult to motivate them. Earlier, I used to feel like a warden at times but now, it’s a natural process in the team,” he smiled.

‘CHANCES GIVEN TO MANY PLAYERS’

In the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Qatar 2022, India are currently placed at six points from seven games, having lost out narrowly to Asian champions Qatar 1-0 despite going down early to 10 men, and then defeating neighbours Bangladesh via two unanswered goals.

Chhetri highlighted how head coach Stimac has given chances to a number of players in the last two years and emphasised the importance of being consistent in performances over the qualification campaign.

“It is difficult to transition, play a certain way, face higher-ranked teams and also get results. We want to be in sync with the coach and what he wants from us, and deliver upon it. That’s all we can do. Results haven’t been ideal but we must look at the silver linings.”

“The coach is not afraid of giving chances to players. If he sees someone who is good, he will always give the boy a chance. No player can say that I didn’t get a chance, which is a good thing. Both the coach and players are looking to make a base of the first 14.”

“No coach likes to change his team every time and he is on the lookout for making his first 14. The players also have to help out and once it clicks, it will be more stable.”

“Even if we win the last match against Afghanistan, I don’t think we can call the campaign a success. I look back at the matches against Bangladesh in Kolkata, Oman in Guwahati and Afghanistan away (in Dushanbe), where we did not play well. We have been hot and cold, and that’s what bothers me. We need to continue playing at the same level,” he added.

In their last match of the qualifiers, the Blue Tigers will now go up against Afghanistan on June 15, 2021, at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, with the third-place spot in the group on the line. The match will kick-off at 7.30 PM IST and will be broadcast live on the Star Network, Disney +

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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The focal point has shifted, it’s no more about the fight put up against Qatar. That’s the past. Rather, it’s now about the forthcoming match against Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 preliminary joint round qualification round. That’s the present, also the future.

Call it the beauty or the tragedy of the bio bubble, the Indian and Bangladeshi contingent despite being in the same team hotel haven’t exchanged pleasantries in Doha so far – they haven’t met as yet. Different floors, different venues for meals, dedicated timings for gym sessions, and different venues for training.

Both teams had mixed results – while Bangladesh came back from behind to hold Afghanistan 1-1 and earn a point, India, despite fighting it out with 10-men against Asian champions Qatar did manage to win hearts, but returned empty handed.

Coach Igor Stimac is very meticulous. He never shouts, but simplifies and explains. He is patient, understanding. The boys feel it, nod, and work their hearts out.

Brandon Fernandes states, “We are moving as a team and we need to back each other. We are aware that we have specific roles in the team. The next match is extremely crucial as we need to sustain the momentum gained in the first match. The first match is history.”

You take a sneak peek into the Bangladesh camp, not in a direct face-to-face meet, but over the phone. “I am very pleased with the performance against Afghanistan. The players did very well on the field, and worked extremely hard. It reflects the attitude which this team possesses – to come back from behind and get back into the game,” Bangladesh coach Jamie Day mentions.

Captain Jamal Bhuyan, also the poster boy of Bangladesh football, who had played for Mohammedan Sporting in the Hero I-League, feels it’s “going to be an intense match” when the two teams take the field on June 7.

“It will be intense – with a lot of battles. It’s a beautiful match to be a part of. Last time in Kolkata we were disappointed not to get the 3 points as India scored very late in the game. We have that hunger in us, and we know we can do some damage,” he avers.

“The confidence in our team is good at the moment. We had our chances to win against Afghanistan. We take that confidence with us into the India game,” Jamal adds.

Day, nevertheless, mentions the difference in the ranking between the two teams. “India are a very good team. They are a much higher-ranked team than us who should be beating the likes of Bangladesh. The difference in ranking and quality is huge. In Kolkata, we did play very well. I look back and feel that India had an off-day on that night at the majestic YBK,” he expresses.

“You look at India’s last match against Qatar – with 10-men they fought like warriors and lost 0-1. It only depicts the quality in their side. We are looking forward to the game. We are aware that we need to play to our maximum, and hope India have another off-day.”

Defender Subhashish Bose, however, is quick to point out that the rankings don’t matter once you take the field. “We are aware of the quality of the Bangladesh team. They are a side that plays a lot of counter-attack football, and that is very dangerous. India versus Bangladesh have always been exciting and close matches. We have huge respect for Bangladesh,” Bose maintains.

Meanwhile, Bhuyan did admit that there are talks of him playing in the Hero ISL, but did clarify that “nothing is concrete as yet”.

“At the moment there is nothing concrete. But I think if I join the Hero ISL it would be a good move, and also there would be a huge following into the ISL from Bangladesh fans because they are crazy about football.”

India’s match against Bangladesh is scheduled for June 7 (Monday), the kick-off of which is slated for IST 7.30 pm. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network and Disney + Hotstar.

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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DATE: 03/06/2021

TIME: 10:30 PM (IST)

VENUE: JASSIM BIN HAMMAD STADIUM, DOHA.

TV BROADCAST: STAR SPORTS CHANNELS, HOTSTAR and JIO TV.

PROBABLE XI:

INDIA- Amrinder Singh, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Adil Khan, Akash Mishra, Rowlin Borges, Brandon Fernandes, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chettri.

QATAR- Saad Al Sheeb, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Tarek Salman, Pedro Miguel, Hassan Al-Haydos, Karim Boudiaf, Abdulaziz Hatem, Abdelkarim Hassan, Md Muntari, Almoez Ali.

HEAD TO HEAD:

 India vs Qatar 1998 WC Qualifier: 0-6

India vs Qatar 2022 WC Qualifier: 0-0

KEY ASPECTS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

• India has a fully fit squad, so Igor Stimac has many choices for his playing XI as he definitely needs a good result with his job on the line.
• Qatar also takes on a robust 28-men squad. They have won five out of six games in the Qualifiers till now, and the single draw came against India.
• The Blue Tigers will aim to score as many points as possible. Although India has missed their chance to qualify for the World Cup, there are still chances for Asian Cup Qualification.
• In contrast, Qatar’s motivation will be to finish on top of the table. Also, they will look to have some game time and keep their players ready for the CONCACAF Gold Cup ahead.

 MANAGER’S QUOTES:

 Felix Sanchez (Coach Qatar National Team) – We are going to face a team that has a good coach (Igor Stimac). The way they play (in counter-attack) will be difficult for us. They had a good game (against Oman) until the last few minutes. They remain compact, and if we have to win, then we must play good football. But we are confident to have a good performance.”

Igor Stimac (Coach Indian National Team) – “Qatar is such a great team, the best in Asia. We need to work harder to get continuous success against better sides. It will be a very difficult game for us.”

AUTHOR’S TAKE:

 India will look to earn a point at least, as they did in the last game against them, but if we compare both the teams on paper, Qatar is stronger!

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The last time when India played Qatar, they made history by keeping a clean sheet.

Let us have a look at some of the key battles to watch out for in India vs Qatar:

#1 Brandon Fernandes vs Abdulaziz Hatem- (Md vs Md)

This was the battle we saw some days before when FC Goa played against Al Rayyan in the AFC Champions League.

Brandon is the only player this year for India who has given assists in the World Cup Qualifiers. His presence in the team always makes a difference, which he also showed for his club FC Goa, when he made history by assisting the first goal for an Indian club in the AFC Champions League.

On the other hand, Hatem is no less of a threat to the opponent. Alongside his defensive duties, he helps his team with goals and assists . He has five goals and three assists to his name in the Qatar Stars League.

A fair contest awaits  FC Goa’s attacking midfielder lock horns against  Al Rayyan’s defensive midfielder.

#2 Sandesh Jhingan vs Al Haydos- (Df vs Fw) 

Arguably, one of the best defenders in India is Sandesh Jhingan.! He showed his class again this year in the ISL with his club ATK Mohun Bagan where his side kept the most clean sheets of the season. Sandesh and the other Indian defenders can become a big mountain to climb for the Qatari attackers.

In contrast, the captain of the Qatar national team Hassan Al Haydos, one of the most influential players on Qatar’s side who always creates enormous problems for the defenders. Al Haydos plays for Al Sadd. The team is managed by Barcelona legend Xavi. Haydos has two goals and nine assists to his name in the Qatar Stars League.

#3 Sunil Chettri vs Boulem Khouki- (Fw vs Df) 

The battle everyone will be most excited about—the face-off between Indian centre-forward and Qatari centre-defender. 

The highest goal-scorer and the captain of the Indian side, Sunil Chettri, can be a severe problem for any defence. He is not in his greatest form as we saw a disappointing campaign for his side Bengaluru in the ISL, but for the national side, Chettri is always ravenous than ever!

On the other side, another player from Al-Sadd, the champions of the Qatar Stars League, is defender Boulem Khouki. A complete package for any team, who can defend, score and assist. Till now, in Qatar’s six games in the World Cup Qualifiers, he has scored a goal and managed four clean sheets.

#4 Pritam Kotal vs Akram Afif- (Rb vs Lw) 

A fight between a left-winger and a right-back is never dull. Pritam Kotal plays as a right-back defender for India and ATK Mohun Bagan, a team in the ISL with the most clean sheets. The wall he creates with his fellow defenders is challenging to break for any side.

Whereas, on this side, the third player on our list who plays for Al-Sadd is Akram Afif. He has been in exceptional form across the season, where he has five goals and seven assists (in 11 appearances ) in Qatar Stars League and four goals (in 6 appearances) in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Keeping Akram on the bay will be one of the primary tasks for Pritam.

#5 Amrinder Singh vs Al Sheeb (Gk vs Gk) 

The final battle on our list is between the goalkeeper’s – Amrinder Singh and Al-Sheeb.

Amrinder Singh, the captain of Mumbai City FC, has a slight edge over Gurpreet Singh of featuring in the Qatar game as he had an incredible season winning both the ISL Shield and Trophy! Amrinder managed nine clean sheets in 20 games, so netting the ball in front of him can be difficult for the Qatari’s.

On the other hand we have the prolific Qatari goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb who also plays for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup winner Al Sadd SC. He will use all his experience of 65 international games to stop the Indian attacks!

This battle will be a treat to watch, as both of them will try their best to keep a clean sheet!

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Star goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu feels that it’s a matter of having three clean slates for the remaining matches in the World Cup Qualifiers, and that it is up to the boys to script their own fates.

“The less we think about it, the better. It’s past. But it’s significant to remember what happened as it drives us to understand the part we need to work upon. We have three clean slates in front of us. It’s up to us as to what we need to write upon them,” he averred.

The Senior National Team has already had a camp earlier this year in Dubai, after the completion of the domestic season, following which, they participated in two FIFA International Friendlies against Oman and UAE.

Defender Pritam Kotal highlighted that the perspectives are entirely different from one another.

“The perspective of Dubai and Doha are entirely different. In Dubai, we played two different teams in the two matches. That was our return to International Football after almost 16 months. The two matches enabled us to slap all the negatives. June will surely be better,” he opined.

India are scheduled to play Asian Champions Qatar on June 3, Bangladesh on June 7, and Afghanistan on June 15 with all three matches to be played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha.

Manvir Singh insisted that the “mixed bag in Dubai” was of huge help.

“Friendly matches always present a chance to set an aim to improve yourself. Dubai was different, Doha will be entirely different. But yeah, Dubai helped us a lot in many aspects. In that sense, the mixed bag in Dubai has been extremely helpful,” he quipped.

The Blue Tigers landed in Doha on May 19, and were in quarantine at the team hotel till they received the results of the RTPCR tests conducted upon arrival.

Meanwhile, Anirudh Thapa expressed that the 1-1 draw against Oman in March in Dubai was a “huge result for Indian Football.”

“We made a huge positive impact against Oman – that too with 10 debutants. I always look at the positives, and that to me was a huge result for Indian Football. In the Qualifiers, we will have a full squad at our disposal. The Dubai results will have absolutely no impact in Doha,” he said in one breath.

The Qualifiers are being played in Doha in view of the COVID pandemic situation which doesn’t allow the original format of home and away matches. India are currently on 3 points from 3 matches in Group E.

Midfielder Suresh Singh, one among the ten debutants in the match against Oman in Dubai, felt past results never affect professional players.

“Dubai is past. As professional players, the past never affects us. Players are professional enough and understand how to react on the pitch. In Doha, we are the underdogs. Let’s not forget, that in Dubai, we never had our full strength at our disposal,” he stated.

CREDITS- AIFF MEDIA

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“We are planning to fly the team on May 19 evening. There will be no quarantine (of the players), and they will be in a bio-bubble,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told PTI on Saturday.

He said the players will assemble in New Delhi, and they will be tested for COVID-19 before their departure to Qatar. Qatar was picked to host the remaining group E matches by AFC because it may be the safest choice amid the ongoing pandemic. 

The Indian Football team will have a camp of nearly 14 days in a bio-bubble before they face the home side of Qatar on June 3. India is already out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup berth as they stand 4th in their group with 3 points in 5 games. But if the Indian side manages to win their remaining three games, they can finish 3rd and gain a  direct spot in the third round of the Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers. 

India will play against three opponents, Qatar on June 3, Bangladesh on June 7 and Afghanistan on June 15.

A national camp was also planned in the month of May in Kolkata under the supervision of head coach Igor Stimac, but the increasing number of Coronavirus cases hampered AIFF’s plans. We hope everything goes well and the Blue Tigers can make a place in Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers.

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