After defeating Kuwait, Sunil Chhetri-led Indian Football team will face Qatar in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. The India vs Qatar match will take place on Tuesday at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium. Prior to the game, India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stated that the Blue Tigers would give their all to attain a positive outcome.
While acknowledging that the point in Doha in 2019 was historic, Sandhu stated that it’s pointless to draw inspiration from it.
“My message will be to forget what happened 4 years ago. We are past that. We have progressed well and are a better team now. If we feel after the game that we have given everything then we will be contented.” said Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ahead of the game.
Gurpreet further added that the team will approach the game with renewed vigour as they seek second straight victory in the Qualifying stage.
Notably, Carlos Queiroz’s Qatar are placed 61st in the FIFA rankings, while India is placed 102. However, previous encounters between the Maroons and the Blue Tigers have been tense and cagey affairs. One of Indian football’s most memorable recent results was a goalless draw in the World Cup Qualifiers in Doha in 2019.
It had only been a few months since Qatar had defeated Japan by three goals to win the Asian Cup. But, after using every trick in the book, they were unable to crack the Indian wall known as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu that evening at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
“It was an unforgettable night for all of us,” said the custodian to AIFF.
“I remember going into that game knowing that there was no pressure on us. It wasn’t just one man but all of us together with one thought – to make it difficult for the opponent, play the long game, stay alive for as long as we can and who knows we can get something out of it,” shared Sandhu.
Sandhu made 11 saves throughout the game, but the humble big man credits everything to his teammates. The Blue Tigers’ second match in the same qualifications, against Qatar, was again a superb defensive effort, with Sandhu making nine saves, however it ended in a 0-1 loss for ten-man India. The 31-year-old earned India’s 25th clean sheet against Kuwait. But football is about more than just numbers for him.
Notably, Sunil Chhetri missed out on the famous 2019 clash due to an injury. Gurpreet Singh, who wore the captain’s armband in the former’s absence, believes that the team will benefit from the veteran’s presence in this game.
“Having Sunil Chhetri in the team is an added bonus. We have progressed well and the players have matured well after playing a good number of matches. We have to take one game at a time, we will go strong at the opposition and hope to win.” Sandhu concluded.
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