WORLD CUP QUALIFIER | Heartbreak for India and Chhetri as they fail to surmount the Kuwait challenge
The Hindu
India's hopes for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers fade after goalless draw with Kuwait, leaving qualification chances in jeopardy.
India suffered a big blow in its bid to realise a third round spot as it played out a goalless draw against Kuwait in a fifth round Group A league match in round two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, at the Salt Lake Stadium, here on Thursday.
With India notching up a 1-0 win in the first round while visiting Kuwait City in November last year, expectations were high about the national team repeating that result at home and brighten its qualification chances. But India failed to recreate its previous performance to see its World Cup qualification dreams virtually evaporating in front of a massive turnout of 58,921.
India, which remains on five points from as many matches, now has a Herculean task on its hands. It travels next to Doha to play its last match on June 11 against a mighty Qatar, which currently tops the group, having won all its four matches.
It was a bigger disappointment for Indian captain Sunil Chhetri, who left the ground in tears, apparently unable to secure the desired win in his last outing for the country.
The match remained largely uneventful, with India struggling to find its footing in attack. Indian head coach Igor Stimac employed a youthful attacking midfield employing the likes of Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte to support Chhetri in attack. India made a few incursions inside the Kuwait box but failed to find the finishing that could decisively beat the opponent goalkeeper, Sulaiman Abdulghafoor.
Kuwait came up with a more cohesive performance and troubled India on numerous occasions. Kuwait had the first chance in the fourth minute when its winger Mohammed Abdulah latched onto a through-pass and found himself unmarked inside the Indian box. Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh came out of the line to salvage the situation for India.
India found its first chance in the 11th minute when Colaco darted into the Kuwait box before squaring the ball for an onrushing Chhetri. But the Kuwait defender Hasan Alenezi reacted first to clear the ball. India had a great chance to find the lead off the resultant corner, but defender Anwar Ali sent a free header over the crosspiece.
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