Doha
The absence of the influential Sunil Chhetri leaves a significant gap as the Indian football team faces a challenging transition period with a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar on Tuesday. Chhetri, who concluded his illustrious international career with a goalless draw against Kuwait in Kolkata last week, leaves behind a legacy of 94 goals in 151 matches, having led the team for over a decade.
With Chhetri’s retirement, 32-year-old first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu steps up as captain. Sandhu, with 72 international appearances, is now the most experienced player in the 23-member squad.
India faces a tough test against two-time Asian champions Qatar at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. A loss would end their World Cup qualifying campaign, while a victory would keep their hopes alive. India currently holds second place with five points and a goal difference of -3. Afghanistan is third with a goal difference of -10 after a recent 0-0 draw with Qatar.
Qatar, already through to the third round, has a youthful squad, with 21 of their 29 players under 24. We have watched the Afghanistan vs. Qatar game and will work on attacking transitions to score from our chances, said coach Igor Stimac.
India practiced in Doha on Sunday evening and has an official training session at the match venue on Monday. For India, a win is crucial to advance to the third round and secure a direct spot in the Asian Cup. A draw could suffice if the Kuwait-Afghanistan match, starting two hours later, also ends in a draw. The match kicks off at 9:15 PM IST.
