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Preview: A heart-breaking loss in the campaign-opener has dented their chances of moving ahead and the Indian football team faces another uphill task when it takes on Asian champion Qatar in its most difficult match of the World Cup second round qualifiers on Tuesday. India let in two goals in the last eight minutes after taking an early lead to lose their opening match against Oman on 5 September in Guwahati. Ranked 62nd in the world, Qatar will start Tuesday’s Group E match against 103-ranked India as overwhelming favourites. They will look to claim their second consecutive win after crushing Afghanistan 6-0 in their opening match on 5 September. The World Cup hosts have improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years. They won the Asian Cup in the UAE earlier this year and they gave good competition to the top South American sides in the recent Copa America where they took part on invitation. India have also shown improvement in recent times as was seen during the Asian Cup in January where they gave scares to the likes of the UAE and Bahrain and missed qualifying for the knock-out round by a whisker. Historically, Qatar have been the dominant side, having won three out of four official matches played against India. One match ended in a draw. The last time the two sides played an official match was in September 2007 in the World Cup qualifiers where Qatar had thrashed India 6-0. India defeated Qatar 2-1 in Doha in 2011 in a friendly but that match was not considered an official game as India made more substitutions than the rules allowed. With inputs from PTI
India vs Qatar Highlights, FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifier Football Match: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ensures goalless draw with clutch saves
Catch all the latest updates and check up on the LIVE score as India take on World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar in their qualifier match-up in Doha.
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Alright, that’s it from us folks!
India’s perseverance paid off, with the Blue Tigers managing to get a draw away against the FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts. This result places them in an excellent position to qualify from the group, with Bangladesh and Afghanistan unlikely to cause them serious problems. Tune in to Firstpost.com whenever those matches take place, because we’ll be right here, giving you all the latest updates! Until then, goodbye and goodnight.
Oi vey, that was something else
via GIPHYFT 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
via GIPHY75’ 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
via GIPHY56’ 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
via GIPHY33’ 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
via GIPHY10’ 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 15 minutes to go!
via GIPHYIndia 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?
via GIPHYAnd here’s Qatar’s starting XI!
And here’s how India will line up!
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!