Afghanistan’s Sharif Mukhammad, second left, celebrates after scoring the winner through the 2026 FIFA World Cup AFC qualifier soccer match between India and Afghanistan on the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on March 26, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AFP
India’s bid to qualify for the third spherical of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers suffered a giant blow because the visiting Afghanistan inflicted a 2-1 defeat in a second spherical Group A match on the Indira Gandhi Stadium right here on Tuesday.
Sunil Chheri’s 94th worldwide aim from a thirty sixth minute penalty in his one hundred and fiftieth look for the nation gave India the leverage within the opening session. However this benefit was misplaced within the second half, when the Afghans regrouped nicely to search out two targets and switch the tables on India.
Chhetri may have put India forward within the third minute, however his try on a half flip got here off the publish and Manvir Singh couldn’t hold his effort on course regardless of getting the rebound near the Afghanistan aim.
India confirmed the power and the intent initially to pin the Afghans again, however that didn’t final lengthy because the customer replied with sharp counter-attacks and created two fast openings that Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu needed to save.
Within the seventh minute, Sandhu palmed over a header from the Afghanistan captain Haroon Amiri earlier than blocking an try from ahead Omid Popalzay.
Indian captain Sunil Chhetri is held again the Afghanistan defence throughout a set-piece within the World Cup qualifying match in Guwahati on Tuesday, 26 March 2024.
| Photograph Credit score:
RITU RAJ KONWAR
India struggled to discover a answer to Afghanistan’s bodily play. Ashley Westwood, the present Afghanistan coach, has honest expertise of teaching in numerous Indian golf equipment and appeared to make use of that have nicely in guiding his gamers.
The change of ends noticed Afghanistan arriving with a larger resolve as India tried to protect the lead with a defensive strategy. This didn’t assist a lot as Afghanistan tried to open up gaps within the India defence with a high-press. It lastly discovered the equaliser within the seventieth minute when Rahmat Akbari’s highly effective drive discovered its approach in. Afghanistan saved up the strain and earned a penalty within the 88th minute that was transformed by Sharif Mukhammad.
India stays on 4 factors from 4 matches, needing to win its subsequent outing towards Kuwait, which it’s going to host on June 6.
The outcome: India 1 (Chhetri 36-pen) misplaced to Afghanistan 2 (Rahmat Akbari 70, Sharif Mukhammad 88-pen).