New Delhi
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has filed a complaint with the match commissioner, calling for an investigation into a disputed goal awarded to Qatar during their critical World Cup qualifying match in Doha.
According to AIFF sources, they have requested a thorough investigation into the goal, which was allowed by South Korean referee Kim Woo-Sung even though the ball had clearly gone out of play. This incident occurred in the must-win match that India lost 1-2 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday.
The goal caused widespread outrage as it denied India a historic chance to advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the 2026 edition.
Iran’s Hamed Momeni served as the match commissioner, a role that involves overseeing the organization of the match and ensuring adherence to FIFA regulations.
In the 73rd minute, after Abdullah Alahrak’s free-kick, Yousef Ayem’s header was saved by Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. As the ball rolled over the line, Hashmi Hussein kicked it back into play, allowing Aymen to score. Despite the ball having clearly gone out of play, the referee awarded the goal to Qatar, ignoring India’s protests.
According to the rules, the ball is out of play if it wholly passes over the goal line or touchline on the ground or in the air.
India coach Igor Stimac expressed his frustration, calling the goal irregular and saying it crushed his team’s dream. Sandhu described the outcome as unfortunate, highlighting that nothing will be given to us; we have to take it.
