As thousands of fans celebrated with the tricolour, Manvir Singh’s winning goal brought overwhelming joy to the Indian contingent at the Jaber al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. This victory set the stage for India’s upcoming match against Asian Champion Qatar at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
In just five days, India will face Qatar in their second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers. Qatar comes into the game after defeating Afghanistan 8-1 in their opening fixture, while India is without three first-team regulars due to injuries.
Despite being down to 10 men within 17 minutes in their previous clash, India managed to limit Qatar to just one goal. For Qatar’s head coach Carlos Queiroz, this match will be an opportunity to prove himself after a rocky start. He will feel the pressure to change Qatar’s football narrative, as he did for Iran.
India’s strategy, with players like Chhetri and Chhangte in front of Samad and Singh, will test Qatar’s ability to defend against attacks. All eyes will be on this exciting match between India and Qatar as they battle it out for supremacy in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers.
