How India football team goalless draw against Afghanistan is a big concern for Igor Stimac?
India football team dreams of playng in the FIFA World Cup. The Asian nation has a lot of ambition and is looking for a spot in their first-ever World Cup. It has not been an easy journey from the start for the nation. Over the years, the league system has developed in the country. From the I-League to the Indian Super League, the journey hasn’t been that easy.
Currently, domestic action has been put on hold and India are playing in the AFC qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Blue Tigers are tied along with Asian champions Qatar, Kuwat and Afghanistan. India are the second-best team in the group but are not playing like a top side. Despite sitting second in their group, Stimac’s men have failed to show their quality on the field. A 1-0 win over Kuwait was followed by a 3-0 defeat against Qatar. A disappointing AFC Asian Cup campaign was followed by a goalless draw against Afghanistan.
India’s struggles against Afghanistan
The draw between India and Afghanistan is a big negative point heading into the future. Afghanistan is not known for their football and do not have a proper league set-up like the ISL. India have a proper league system and the players take the field along with some foreign players.
The Afghans hosted the Blue Tigers at the Damac Stadium. Former England player Ashley Westwood managed this Afghanistan side. Igor Stimac named a strong starting 11 for this side. Sunil Chhetri led the attack alongside Mumbai City FC’s sensation Vikram Pratap Singh. Chhangte and Manvir were opted on the flanks by the Croatian manager. Jeakson Singh and Apuia were chosen to strengthen the midfield. Anwar Ali was back in the Indian setup after missing the last few games with injury. He was in the heart of the defence along with Rahul Bheke. Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojary provided the width down the flanks. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stood between the post for his nation.
It was a disappointing first half for the Indian team. They failed to find the rhythm between them and struggled to attempt shots. Stimac’s men failed to hit a single shot on target in the first half. The second half was filled up with more disappointments. India were struggling to keep hold of the ball and very few chances were created. At the end of the 90 minutes, India only had one shot on target. Afghanistan tested Gurpreet couple of times and he stood tall in front of the goal.
A day to forget for the national team. Struggles all over the pitch resulted in a poor draw. India football team is set to take on Afghanistan in the reverse fixture at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. A win for Stimac will boost their chances of making it to the next round of the competition. The coach might bring in some new faces to the starting 11 and test the Afghanistan team.
