Football World Cup qualifiers, India vs Qatar, as it happened: Battling Blue Tigers go down to Qatar
Updates from the World Cup qualifiers match between India and Qatar in Doha.
FT: India 0-1 Qatar
A defeat for India but certainly a morale victory for Igor Stimac’s men who were in the game till the final minute despite playing with ten men for almost 75 minutes. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was brilliant in goal preventing a certain hiding for India. The loss means India stay fourth in the table but plenty of positives for India to take into the final two matches.
90+1’ India 0-1 Qatar
Three minutes of stoppage time. Can India find an unlikely equaliser?
86’ India 0-1 Qatar
Qatar hit the woodwork and India survive. Can they conjure up a chance at the other end?
80’ India 0-1 Qatar
Final ten minutes left and India are still in. Qatar are a bit frustrated at not killing this game by now. They are still dominant but India certainly sniff an opportunity to pull of a miracle.
74’ India 0-1 Qatar
Akash Mishra has come on for Bipin Singh. Ashique Kuruniyan set to move higher up the pitch
65’ India 0-1 Qatar
Beautiful flowing move from Qatar that completely cuts open the Indian defence. But every Qatari attack, there’s a Gurpreet Singh save to thwart it. Brilliant display from the man in goal.
64’ India 0-1 Qatar
Qatar have pinned India back but India still just a goal behind. Frustration creeping in the Qatari ranks who have certainly dropped the intensity a bit
47’ India 0-1 Qatar
Big save from Gurpreet to keep it at 1-0. The Indian goalkeeper has been brilliant so far
46’ India 0-1 Qatar
Udanta Singh has come on for India in place of captain Sunil Chhetri. Big call from Stimac
HT: India 0-1 Qatar
India have shown a lot of heart especially after going down to ten men. There has been a lot of discipline on the show as well but just the decision-making letting them down at times. Qatar totally dominant but not finding it too easy to sweep India aside.
45+2’ India 0-1 Qatar
SAVE! Gurpreet produces a big save to keep India in the hunt. Qatar’s brilliant movement opening up India.
44’ India 0-1 Qatar
Almost a chance for India. Brilliant work from Sunil Chhetri but Manvir Singh can’t apply the finishing touch.
33’ India 0-1 Qatar
GOOOAAALLLLL! Abdulaziz scores! Qatar break India’s resistance. The Blue Tigers had the numbers at the back but none could clear the danger. Long night for India now
29’ India 0-0 Qatar
CHANCE FOR INDIA! Ashique with a brilliant early cross almost finds Manvir Singh. India almost taking a surprise lead there
25’ India 0-0 Qatar
Chance for Qatar from the corner but India get bodies inside the box to somehow put him off. Qatar very patient despite the numerical advantage. They are in no hurry to break India down.
16’ India 0-0 Qatar
RED CARD FOR INDIA! Second yellow for Rahul Bheke for deliberate handball and India are down to ten men.
13’ India 0-0 Qatar
CHANCE for Qatar! Abdulaziz skies a cutback from Yousuf. Qatar managed to get behind India there and it was a good chance for the Asian champions. So far so good for India
4’ India 0-0 Qatar
Clumsy tackle from challenge who brings down the Qatari attacker without taking the ball. Early luck goes India’s way
2’ India 0-0 Qatar
Qatar on the front foot straightaway. Gurpreet concedes a corner as he palms away a cross.
1’ India 0-0 Qatar
KICK OFF! The game is underway in Doha.
10:27 - National anthems done!
Time for the action to begin. Can India pull off another upset in Doha?
10:20 - Both teams looking to return to winning ways
Form Guide:
India: D-D-L-D-L
Qatar: L-W-W-W-D
Ranking:
Qatar: 58
India: 105
10:15 pm: Experience matters!
Coach Stimac has called on his seasoned campaigners to do the job against Qatar. Can the players help him find some solutions to the problems facing the team?
Read more here: Can under-fire Igor Stimac find solutions to pressing problems facing Blue Tigers?
10:05 pm: Bangladesh and Afghanistan have drawn their game which is a great result for India who can now leapfrog Afghanistan into third place with a win. But against Qatar that will be easier said than done
Group E as it stands
MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | PTS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QATAR | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 16 |
OMAN | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
AFG | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 5 |
INDIA | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
BAN | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 14 | -11 | 2 |
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Fifa World Cup qualifiers match between India and Qatar in Doha.
After a couple of international friendlies, it’s back to serious competition for the Indian men’s senior national football team.
Though all but out of reckoning for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, India are still in with a chance to make the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China.
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 in Doha.
India XI: Gurpreet Singh, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Sandesh Jhingan, Glan Martins, Manvir Singh, Sunil Chhetri (C), Bipin Singh, Pritam Kotal, Suresh Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan