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As the final whistle blew at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, with Sunil Chhetri's head still sunk deep into his palms, the Indian men's national team quickly evacuated the field, fearing the boos from enraged fans on Tuesday. After a woeful performance over the 90 minutes, the Blue Tigers suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of a weakened Afghanistan outfit in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
The emotions of the home fans crescendoed outside the stadium while the Indian players boarded the team bus after the game. Amid the deafening boos and jeers were very audible calls for the sacking of head coach Igor Stimac. Chants of "Stimac Out" were rampant as the gaffer made his way to the bus.
While fans have shown their discontentment with Stimac and the team's performances on numerous occasions, the reaction on Tuesday night seemed notably different.
The humiliation wasn't just limited to the calls for sacking or boos, but on the pitch after Afghanistan's memorable victory, Indian fans participated in the 'Viking clap' with the visitors and celebrated their victory as the home side left the pitch early.
Even considering all the lows that Indian football fans have lived through in the past, the defeat against Afghanistan seems especially painful.
Afghanistan's comeback victory enabled by lack of conviction from India
After a disappointing 0-0 stalemate away from home against the same opponents last week, the prerogative was with the Blue Tigers to showcase a stern response in Guwahati. A neat penalty from Sunil Chhetri put India ahead in the 38th minute, but the intensity soon fizzled out from India's performance.
As the game rolled into the second half, the directionless passing from midfield allowed the Lions of Khorasan to take control of the proceedings. Once in the driver's seat, the Afghans capitalized on the momentum and scored the equalizer from a deflected effort in the 70th minute. More misery awaited the hosts as Sharif Mukhammad converted from the penalty spot to complete the comeback.
The lack of commitment from the players and a questionable tactical acumen from the gaffer was left bared out after the final whistle.
