Despite the absolute optimism from Igor Stimac ahead of the crucial fixture, the Indian men's senior team played out a dull 0-0 stalemate against Afghanistan in the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Abha, Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 22.
The importance of the full three points was laid down before the Blue Tigers well before the kick-off, yet there was a complete lack of resilience throughout the game. After the initial sparring that birthed hope in the hearts of the traveling fans at the Damac Stadium, there was complete tactical blindness from the Stimac-coached outfit.
The night started with the hosts appealing for a penalty in the first minute as Rahmat Akbari went down in the box after contact with Jeakson Singh, but the referee waved away their claims. The Blue Tigers responded swiftly, with Nikhil Poojary delivering an early cross for Lallianzuala Chhangte, whose header was saved, resulting in a corner in the fifth minute.
Despite India's attempts to control the game, a loose pass by Akash Mishra in his own half gifted possession to the Lions of Khorasan in the 11th minute. Forward Taufee Skandari attempted to initiate an attack, but a misplaced pass hindered their progress.
The Afghans persisted, maintaining possession and passing the ball around until Jabar Sharza took a shot from the edge of the box, narrowly missing the target.
The Blue Tigers found themselves at the end of a golden opportunity in the 23rd minute when Manvir Singh received a ball inside the box. However, the lack of composure shone through as he failed to control the ball and eventually squandered the opportunity.
As the referee blew the half-time whistle, the teams retreated to the dressing rooms with the scoreline reflecting their missed opportunities. With the burden of qualification on India's shoulders, a resounding response was expected. However, the second half was quite the replication of the first, with ample half chances going awry.
The best chance of the night, ironically, fell for the Afghans, who were playing with a weakened unit after many of their senior players boycotted the national team in protest against the federation.
Rahmat Akbari, after being sent through on goal, opted for a low cross in the direction of Omid Popalzay instead of testing Gurpreet Singh. However, Rahul Bheke intervened just in time to muscle the Afghanistan midfielder off the ball.
Meanwhile, the visitors had a chance of their own to pull ahead in the 79th minute when an inch-perfect cross from Apuia found the head of second-half substitute Subhasish Bose. However, the defender failed to keep his effort between the goal frame and eventually the Blue Tigers walked away with just a point.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for the Indian team from their clash against Afghanistan:
STARTING XI
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK) [6.5]
The veteran keeper had very little to do throughout the night except for an outing in the 62nd minute when the opposition got through on goal. He timed his movement to perfection and passively thwarted the danger, walking away with a clean sheet.
Nikhil Poojary [5.0]
The only positive for Poojary ont the night was his intent to bomb forward. However, intent alone doesn't suffice. His wayward crossing and the clumsy all-round effort were visible for the majority of the match.
Rahul Bheke [6.5]
Centrally, the Lions of Khorasan were visibly timid, and hence, Bheke wasn't tested to the limit. He kept the backline tight, cleared the loose balls when he had to, and most importantly, provided a crucial last-ditch block to keep the clean sheet intact.
Anwar Ali [5.5]
The MBSG center-back was mediocre in most regards. The long balls from deep that people have come to expect from Anwar Ali were missing completely.
Akash Mishra [4.5]
There's not much left to be said about the expectations that rest on Akash Mishra's shoulders being one of the very few Indian full-backs capable of making a considerable attacking impact. However, tonight, the 22-year-old registered ample misplaced passes and directionless crosses.
Akash's defensive positioning too raised a few questions as he was often caught out on the break.
Jeakson Singh [5.0]
Returning to the national setup after giving the Asian Cup a miss due to an injury, there were plenty of expectations from Jeakson Singh. However, the defensive midfielder delivered a largely pedestrian performance, failing to break up play even against a weakened Afghanistan outfit.
Apuia [5.5]
Apuia was meant to be the connecting bridge between the midfield and the attacking quartet. However, with ample misplaced passes, and a lack of tenacity in the middle of the park, he was rolled over by the Afghani midfielders.
Lallianzuala Chhangte [5.5]
The Mumbai City FC winger, operating from the left flank, looked completely out of color and often overcooked his passes regularly. Given his ineffectiveness, Stimac took off Chhangte in the second half.
Sunil Chhetri [5.5]
The entire night went by without the veteran forward making any significant contribution in the attacking third.
Playing in a more reserved attacking midfield role, Chhetri couldn't pump much creativity into their game. Clumsy touches, misplaced passes, and ineffective positioning were the summary of his night.
Vikram Pratap Singh [5.5]
Making his full debut for the senior national team, Vikram Pratap Singh, who has been in incredible form for Mumbai City, was lackadaisical for most of the night. Playing away from the preferred right flank, the 22-year-old took the longest time to even recognize his role on the pitch. However, there was no lack of effort from the winger during his 60-minute stay.
Manvir Singh [6.0]
Deployed with the responsibility of meandering into the central areas, Manvir popped at the end of a couple of hopeful opportunities throughout the first 45 minutes. However, lack of sharpness in front of the goal and clumsy touches in clutch areas ended up costing the Mohun Bagan SG forward heavily.
SUBSTITUTES
Subhasish Bose [6.0]
The best that can be said about Subhasish Bose's performance is that he was defensively more resolute than his predecessor Akash Mishra. However, if his 79th-minute header nestled into the net, the narrative would've been completely different.
Brandon Fernandes [5.0]
The FC Goa creator-in-chief has been largely ignored when it comes to the national team, and tonight, he looked lackluster when brought on after the hour mark.
Liston Colaco [6.0]
One of the few substitutes who showed a fight, Liston Colaco packed a bit of a bunch but nothing too consequential to trouble the Afghans.
Naorem Mahesh Singh [5.0]
The most memorable bit from the East Bengal winger's stint was his hapless attempt to win a penalty in the dying minutes of the match. However, many would argue that Naorem Mahesh was brought on too late considering the team's bluntness.
Deepak Tangri [5.0]
Another largely consequential cameo, given the fact India were mostly on the front foot throughout the final few minutes. However, even during his brief stint, Deepak Tangri picked up a booking.
