The Indian football team played to a goalless draw against Afghanistan at the Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia, in their third FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 match on Friday.
With this result, India climbed to second place in Group A with four points from three matches, trailing only behind Kuwait.
The scenario was clear for both teams, a victory would have been momentous for either side. For India, it would have meant temporarily securing the second spot in Group A, three points ahead of Kuwait, who suffered a 0-3 defeat against Qatar earlier in the evening.
A win for Afghanistan would have brought them level with both Kuwait and India, intensifying the battle for the second spot in the group.
The match saw a fiercely contested midfield battle right from the start, with aggressive tackles entertaining the passionate crowd at the Damac Stadium. While Afghanistan relied on their speed and physicality to gain control, India focused on a passing-oriented style of play.
Vikram Partap Singh, who made his senior national team debut in January, earned a spot in the starting lineup for the first time in his career. He posed a constant threat to the Afghanistan defense, alternating between the center and the wing and creating confusion among the opposition ranks alongside Manvir Singh.
Despite India’s dominance in possession, Afghanistan managed to create counter-attacking opportunities. Mosawer Ahadi’s left-footed curler was saved by India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, denying Afghanistan a chance to take the lead.
Manvir Singh had several opportunities to score in the first half, including a missed header from a corner and a cross from fullback Nikhil Poojary. However, his efforts were in vain as the first half ended goalless.
In the second half, Vikram Pratap Singh also had his chances to score, but he couldn’t capitalize on them. His night ended prematurely after receiving a yellow card for a mistimed tackle, leading head coach Igor Stimac to replace him with Brandon Fernandes.
Afghanistan continued to rely on counter-attacks, with Rahmat Akbari creating a dangerous chance for Omid Popalzay, but Rahul Bheke’s timely intervention prevented a goal.
Stimac made tactical changes by introducing Liston Colaco, Mahesh Naorem, and Deepak Tangri, but India failed to break the deadlock, resulting in a 0-0 draw. Despite the draw, India moved up to second place in Group A with four points from three games.
The Blue Tigers will face the Lions of Khorasan in the return leg at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on March 26.
(ANI)