India vs Qatar Highlights, FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifier Football Match: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ensures goalless draw with clutch saves

Oi vey, that was something else

FT IND 0 – 0 QAT

What a game! It’s been non-stop drama, a nerve-wracking, nail-biting spectacle with no shortage of close calls and near misses for India, but Igor Stimac and Co somehow, somehow, have come away with the draw! With Sunil Chhetri out, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu picked up the armband, and came up with one of the best performances of his entire career, and it was enough. It was just about enough.

92’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

India are moments away from a fantastic result, but Qatar have not let up their relentless pressure. This match is far from done.

85’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Is this the hand of destiny at play? India get away somehow, yet again, by the skin of their pearly whites! Gurpreet Singh Sandhu makes one of his first errors of the match, pushing a shot straight into the path of a Qatari attacker, but the rebound is hammered into frame of the goal. If you have a heart condition, look away from the TV screen.

82’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Udanta had the entire stadium on the edge of the seat, after driving forward, and then playing a quick one-two, before unleashing a curling shot a la Arjen Robben! Unfortunately it’s just a bit too high, and the thousands of Qataris in the stadium heave a sigh of relief.

The longest ten minutes of Igor Stimac’s life have begun

75’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is just not giving this one up. The Indian goalkeeper yet again comes out on top, diving low to save a thunderous shot from outside the box that was creeping into the bottom right corner. Things have slowed down a little since the frenetic beginning to the second half, but Qatar are still engineering chances.

65’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

India are gifted a free-kick, after a rather animated shoulder-barge on Udanta is adjudged to be a foul. The free-kick results in a corner, which misses pretty much everyone in the box and falls to Samad on the edge of the area. His volley is more Heskey than Zidane though, and it causes the Qatari goalkeeper no problems. Still, that’s a shot. That’s something?

61’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Mandar Rao Dessai gives away a foul on the edge of the area, casually tripping up a Qatari player. Abdelkarim Hassan fires a venomous shot straight at the Indian wall, and it comes to nothing.

Felix Sanchez wondering how his side is still level

56’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Rowllin Borges brings down Hassan Al-Haydos on the very edge of the penalty area. It’s a sloppy tackle, and he’s lucky to have gotten away without a yellow card. The set-piece is fired straight at goal, but the shot is yet again blocked by our lord and saviour Gurpreet.

52’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

India get their first real chance of the night, as Sahal Abdul Samad plays through Udanta on the right wing, who is off like a hare. He sprints all the way to the Qatar penalty area, but his cross goes unanswered, flashing across the face of goal.

49’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Another close call for India, as a ball is played in behind the defence, but Gurpreet is alert and he holds on tight.

46’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Qatar get the ball rolling in the second half, and India will have to make sure they don’t get hit by a suckerpunch right after the break.

HT IND 0 – 0 QAT

Somehow, on a wing and a prayer, India enter the midway break level with Qatar. It’s been completely one-sided so far, with Qatar having scores of opportunities. Gurpreet has been the best Indian player on the field by a country mile. Not that he’s being given much competition by anyone else.

45’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Abdelkarim Hassan rifles a shot towards Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s goal, and the keeper just about bats it away! He’s going to be bruised all over by the end of the night. The ball is won back almost immediately by Qatar, and Almoez Ali gets it in the penalty area with his back to goal. He swivels and unleashes a low shot, but Gurpreet gets down quick to push it away.

Gurpreet Singh in the Indian goal

33’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Qatar have taken their foot off the pedal at the moment, with much of the match being played in the middle third of the field. The Indian defence will be heaving a sigh of relief, but the Indian offence is still as ineffective as ever.

26’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Boualem Khoukhi heads wide from close range! Qatar have had corner upon corner so far, and this one almost ends in a goal, as the balls skims off a Indian defender’s noggin and finds Khoukhi unmarked at the far post. Perhaps he wasn’t expecting the defender to bungle the clearance, because his header is atrocious.

23’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

We’ve barely begun and an Indian player has already been booked for timewasting. The player penalised taking their own sweet time is one Gurpreet, which is understandable, since he’s already saved India’s bacon on about half a dozen occasions tonight.

19’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Ro-Ro and Almoez Ali combine beautifully to carve out an excellent chance, but an alert Sandesh Jhingan steals the ball from his feet with an excellent tackle. a minute later, India are back in trouble, as Hassan Al-Haydos conjures up another vicious long-range attempt, that dips at the very last minute. Gurpreet is forced into making a save, and he does so extremely well, tipping it over the bar.

13’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Oh my word, how is this still goalless? Abdulaziz Hatem gets an absolute gift of a mispass on the edge of the box, and his curling shot floats just over the cross bar. India really doesn’t need this right now.

Gurpreet giving his defenders the stink-eye

10’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Hassan Al-Haydos gets yet another chance from the same angle, and this time he really puts his foot through it. Gurpreet stays strong to thwack it away, but India really need to get their head in the game.

8’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Gurpreet is tested yet again, and this time it’s Hassan Al-Haydos who tries to curl it past him from an acute angle. Again, it wasn’t the best of chances, but it should have been snuffed out.

6’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

Tariq Salman takes a shot from outside the box, which stings Gurpreet’s palms but doesn’t give him much trouble. Nothing came of the shot, but he really shouldn’t be getting that sort of space on the edge of the penalty area.

1’ IND 0 – 0 QAT

India kick off proceedings and quickly move it out to the wings from central midfield, but a lob is intercepted. It seems like we have a lot of lofted passes and speculative balls coming our way tonight.

How’s this going down?

Just under ten minutes to go!

Will Qatar coast to victory, or will India shock the #FIFAWorldCup hosts? Let us know down below. 👇#QATIND

LIVE: https://t.co/lofj1dZNZz

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) September 10, 2019

Just 15 minutes to go!

India should make personnel changes without sacrificing their philosophy against Qatar

The Qataris are heavy favourites for the clash but the match against a high profile team is an opportunity for India to make a statement. Today’s clash will be the toughest test of Stimac’s brief reign so far but also an opportunity for his boys to show they are constantly improving.

Click here to read more of Ujwal Singh’s preview of the match.

Sunil Chhetri is rested as reports emerge that the talismanic striker is ill. Could this be costly for India?

And here’s Qatar’s starting XI!

قائمة بداية المباراة لمنتخبنا الوطني 🇶🇦#قطر_الهند#الطريق_إلى_الصين#الوعد_في_الملعب pic.twitter.com/jFeqhxKZT8

— الاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم (@QFA) September 10, 2019

And here’s how India will line up!

The line-ups are out 🙌🙌#QATIND ⚔ #WCQ 🌏🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/4iUe6ndti9

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 10, 2019

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier between India and Qatar!

India will be looking to exorcise their demons when they take on World Cup hosts Qatar in their qualifier in Doha, just days after an agonizingly close defeat against Oman. Stay tuned to get the latest updates and check up on the live score!