India robbed a spot in 3rd round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, Controversial goal awarded to Qatar
India’s dream of reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 ended in disappointment after a 2-1 defeat to Qatar in the second round of qualifiers. However, the manner of the loss left Indian fans fuming, as a controversial equalizer by Qatar played a major role in the outcome.
During India’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Qatar at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, India was robbed by the referee. The controversial incident happened in the 73rd minute of the match when India’s goalkeeper and captain Gurpreet Sandhu saved the header from Yousef Aymen at the far post, but the ball went under him and crossed the line, implying a corner for Qatar.
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At this point Indian defenders and goalkeeper stopped playing under the assumption a corner would be awarded. However, Qatar continued the play, Al-Hashmi backheeled the ball into the box and Aymen strikes the goal.
The Indian players protested against the decision with skipper Gurpreet charging towards the line referee to explain that the ball was out of play. But none of the referee or the match officials paid attention to India’s request. Additionally, this decision was particularly painful for India as the match was being played without VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology. India was handed a defeat owing to the “pathetic refereeing”.
We’ll leave it here!#INDQAT #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/5KhtyOfrvS
— FanCode (@FanCode) June 11, 2024
While the controversial goal undoubtedly played a part in the defeat, India can’t escape blame for their own shortcomings. Despite facing a weakened Qatari team missing several key players, India failed to capitalize on their early dominance. They squandered several chances in the first half, including a golden opportunity for Manvir Singh.
India’s inability to convert chances has been a recurring theme throughout the qualifiers. Draws against Afghanistan and Kuwait in previous rounds exposed their lack of cutting edge in attack. This weakness ultimately proved costly, as they failed to build a comfortable lead against Qatar.
Despite the controversial equalizer, India still had a chance to salvage the game. However, Qatar eventually took the lead with a legitimate goal twelve minutes after their first. This left India needing two goals in a short span to secure qualification, a task that proved too much for them.
India’s exit from the World Cup qualifiers is a bitter pill to swallow. While the controversial goal can be seen as a stroke of bad luck, they must also acknowledge their own shortcomings in attack and defense. This experience should serve as a valuable lesson as they strive to qualify for future tournaments.
The focus now shifts to understanding the mistakes made and improving their performance. Building a more clinical attack that can convert chances will be crucial for their future success. Additionally, ironing out defensive lapses and maintaining concentration throughout the game will be vital.
Ultimately, while the controversial goal added fuel to the fire, India’s own inconsistencies were the primary reason for their elimination. They will need to learn from this experience and come back stronger in their quest to reach the World Cup stage.
