Indian Men’s Football Team’s World Cup Hopes Dashed by Loss to Qatar's Second-String Team.

India can rue a missed historic win. Controversial goals are part of football, and captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stopped playing while the referees deemed the ball still in play. Most of India's defense also switched off, unlike Qatar. A corner turned into a goal, and the officials did not address the Indian players' protests.

That disputed Qatar goal, wrongly allowed in a VAR-less qualifier, broke India's resolute second-half defense and canceled Lallianzuala Chhangte’s first-half goal. Qatar scored again twelve minutes later, eliminating India from the World Cup qualifiers in the second round.

India was hard done by in Doha but also failed to perform consistently, drawing and losing at home to Afghanistan and Kuwait despite a month-long camp. Today, they have only themselves to blame for this situation.

None of the eleven Qatar players from their 3-0 win over India in Bhubaneswar were present on Tuesday. Early on, two corners and a goal-line clearance suggested Qatar's dominance. However, India’s frenetic pressing and brave defense forced Qatar to play under pressure, leading to mistakes.

India, ranked below Qatar, started creating chances. Manvir Singh’s weak shot and two missed opportunities by Chhangte exemplified their struggles. Eventually, Chhangte scored from a brilliant through ball by Brandon Fernandes, giving India a deserved lead. They ended the first half with 53% possession and should have secured the win.

In the second half, Qatar persistently attacked and eventually broke through with a controversial goal. Despite further chances, India’s inability to score and past failures haunted them, leaving Qatar and Kuwait to fight for a World Cup spot.