India vs Afghanistan Live Score and Commentary FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022
India vs Afghanistan Live Score and Commentary FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022 Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Approve Reject & ban Delete Logout
Igor Stimac and Sunil Chhetri wanted a victory for India. But, they should be content with the draw as it guarantees them a place in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Qualifiers. 90+5' PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! That's it. Liston Colaco takes all the time in the world to block his man as the referee blows his final whistle. 90+4' Afghanistan's Hussein Zamani commits a mistimed lunging tackle on Liston Colaco. 90+3' Sharif Mukhammad's delivery falls straight into the hands of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Too near to the goalkeeper. 90+2' Afghanistan wins another free-kick. A lot of bodies upfront. Suresh Wangjam commits a needless foul on Noor Husin. 90+1' Gurpreet Singh Sandhu gives a long shout and collects the free-kick comfortably. He dodges an Afghanistani player before releasing a long ball down the line. Four minutes added on. 90' HIGH! Subhasish takes a long throw-in but Sandesh Jhingan plays it backward to his ATK Mohun Bagan teammate. Subhasish swings a cross and Manvir gets his head at the end of it. But, his effort is inches wide. Manvir has both his hands on his head. 88' Rahul Bheke's long throw gets a head from Bipin Singh. But, an Afghanistani defender clears the danger before Manvir Singh can get at the end of it. Just five minutes left in regulation play. A draw would be enough for India to get them through to the third round of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Will they be successful in holding their nerves? 85' An Afghanistani defender clears Bipin Singh's corner and Apuia takes a shot from distance. But it is high and wide. 84' Bipin Singh swings a cross from the left flank but it misses everyone and Rahul Bheke has a shot at glory from distance. He gets a deflection and India wins a corner kick. 81' GOOOOOOOOAAAAAL! Afghanistan scores. Noor Husin beats two players in the left flank and finds an unmarked Hossein Zamani inside the box. The angle is tight but the 18-year-old wonderkid unleashes a powerful shot which clatters the crossbar before bulging the back of the net.
IMPECCABLE FINISH! No chance whatsoever for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to save that one. 80' Ashique Kuruniyan is stretchered off. Igor Stimac makes his final change.
OFF- Ashique Kuruniyan
ON- Bipin Singh 78' GOAAAAA- NO GOAL KICK! An early cross from Liston Colaco finds Ashique on the left flank. He beats a man and drills a low cross. The ball takes an untimely deflection from an Afghanistan defender before crossing the line. However, the assistant referee raises his flag as he judges Ashique to have failed to keep the ball in play. And, the replay confirms it was the correct decision. 75' OWN GOAL! India takes the lead. Ashique lobs a high cross from the left flank and Afghanistan's goalkeeper Ovays Azizi fails to trap the ball properly. He collects the ball but it slips between his hands and the ball crosses the line. BUTTER FINGERS! But India won't mind that. 73' Afghanistan make a change. The 18-year-old wonderboy comes into the pitch.
OFF- Adam Najem
ON- Hossein Zamani 72' The referee stops play as Haroon Amiri tumbles down the ground rolling with his hand across his face. Manvir is lucky to not see a red card as he wildly flailed his arms. 70' Liston almost provides an assist for India with his first touch as his curling delivery in the danger area troubles the Afghanistan defense. But, Manvir Singh was a little behind and Afghanistan's defender collects the ball. 69' India make another change. The Captain Fantastic will need to wait for his 75th international goal.
OFF- Sunil Chhetri
ON- Liston Colaco 68' HIGH! Sunil Chhetri steps up to take it but his shot misses the target narrowly. 67' FREE KICK TO INDIA JUST OUTSIDE THE BOX! Haroon Amiri is beaten by Ashique's pace and the former Afghanistan captain tugs the shorts of Ashique to concede a free-kick. 66' SHOT! Omid Popalzay leaves Subhasish for the dead and unleashes a shot from the outside of the box. He looks off-balanced and his shot sails inches high. Afghanistan looked ever so close to taking the lead. 65' Glan Martins hassles his marker and ultimately wins the ball. However, India fail to capitalize on the momentum and loses possession. 63' India make their first substitution. Igor Stimac wants more solidity in the midfield and wants his team to stitch up some simple passes.
OFF- Brandon Fernandes
ON- Lalengmawia 62' Brandon Fernandes takes his corner kick low and hard and the first man clears it. 61' Brandon Fernandes swings a beautiful free-kick and Afghanistani defense was in sixes and sevens. But, Haroon Amiri's last ditched effort ensures India win only a corner kick. Manvir Singh was lurking in the background to get his foot in time and tap the ball home. Just thirty minutes of regulation time remaining! And both the sides are treading cautiously. No one wants to concede a goal. 60' David Najem swings a cross but there is no Afghanistan player at the far post to connect it. 59' Rahul Bheke takes a long throw-in and Subhasish Bose flicks it at the penalty spot. Sunil Chhetri connects the succeeding shot but Afghanistan goalkeeper collects the ball comfortably as his effort was tame. 58' SHOT! Omid Popalzay takes a shot from the outside of the box but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu positions himself perfectly to collect the ball. He set it up for himself by juggling the ball into his stronger foot before unleashing his volley. 57' Noor Husin almost finds Sharifi with a route one football. But Chinglensana Singh towers above the latter name to win the header. Subhasish Bose clears the danger ultimately. 56' A decent ball from the left flank this time by Ashique but there was only Manvir in the box to aim for. The ball trickles wide and goes out of play. 55' Brandon Fernandes swishes a corner kick and it misses everyone! India, however, retains possession. 54' Manvir Singh crosses the ball from the right flank but it is cleared for a corner kick. 52' Brandon Fernandes tries to go centrally down the pitch, however, two Afghan shirts crowd him and he loses the ball. That has been the story all night long. The Indian players trying to go solo while Afghanistan defenders are defending in numbers and preventing the ball to reach Sunil Chhetri. The only chemistry which India has shown so far is between Manvir Singh and Suresh Wangjam down the right flank. 50' Igor Stimac nods his head in displeasure as another foul goes against India's favor. 48' Ashique Kuruniyan wins the ball in the middle of the park but a body check from Masih Saighani stops him on his tracks. Sunil Chhetri was waiting on the outside to receive a pass from him. Early signs of intention from India! 47' Absolute beast of a defending from Sandesh Jhingan! The ATK Mohun Bagan defender stoops down to win the ball and Amir Sharifi collides his leg with his head to concede a foul. 46' PEEP! Afghanistan get us underway from the right to left side of our screen. Welcome back to the second-half action of the India vs Afghanistan match! 45+1' India take too much time in trying to whip a cross as they look troubled to break the organized Afghanistan defense. And, with that, the referee blows his half-time whistle. One minute added on. 45' India win the possession in the centre of the park and Suresh Wangjam tries to find Manvir. But, there are enough white shirts in the back to intercept that pass. 44' Haroon Amiri tries to lodge an early cross but Brandon Fernandes blocks it. 43' David Najem whips a cross from the right flank. But it is wasteful. Good intent from Afghanistan but they are lacking the final touch. 42' SHOT! Amir Sharifi goes for glory from the distance. It is drilled low and hard but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu kneels down to collect the ball comfortably. India on the backfoot in the last fifteen minutes. 41' Glan Martins is tucked down by Sharif and India have to rebuild the attack once again. 40' Ashique fouls Noor Husin in the left flank. That has been an interesting battle in the game so far. 39' Afghanistan go all the way back and Saighani whips in a swinging cross but Haroon Amiri commits a foul in the box and India win back possession. 38' SHOT! Haroon Amiri's glancing header is inches wide. Afghanistan nearly took the lead there. They win a corner this time as Jhingan got the last touch. 37' Pressure building on India! This time Rahul Bheke clips the legs of Noor Husin and Afghanistan win another free-kick in the opposite half. 36' Faysal Shayesteh's free-kick is deflected by Glan Martins in the wall and Afghanistan win a throw-in. 34' Chinglensana Singh runs clumsily into Omid Popalzay and fouls the latter. He goes into the book and Afghanistan win a foul from a shooting range. 32' Sharif Mukhammad once again appeals for a penalty from the referee but it seems as if he has gone down to the ground very cheaply. 31' Brandon Fernandes' corner kick is again central this time but Rahul Bheke fails to get in time. Afghanistan look threatening on the counter with a 3-on-2 situation in their favor. However, the Blue Tigers sprint their bodies back in time and the move ends with Sharif Mukhammad fouling Ashique Kuruniyan to concede possession. 30' India win another corner kick! 29' Afghanistan makes a change!
OFF- Farshad Noor
ON- Adam Najem 28' Afghanistan's captain Farshad Noor is down in the pitch clutching the inside of his right foot. He needs to be substituted immediately. 27' Ashique Kuruniyan cuts through the left flank and tries to find Sunil Chhetri in the box with a low cross. But, Masih Saighani again gets his leg in between and clears the lines. 26' Brandon Fernandes takes it short this time by giving it to Ashique Kuruniyan. The Bengaluru FC player lofts his shot but it doesn't trouble Afghanistan goalkeeper much. 25' Brandon Fernandes goes centrally this time and Rahul Bheke beats his marker to get a free header. However, his efforts don't end in a goal as an Afghanistani defender makes a goal-line clearance. 24' India win another corner kick! Brandon Fernandes floats a ball and Masih Saighani takes no risk by clearing it out of play. 23' Good tenacity from Suresh Wangjam! It seemed as if he would lose the ball but Afghanistan defenders foul him in the end to halt his movements. 21' Manvir Singh tries to do a give-and-go but his partner Sunil Chhetri dropped a little back. Communication seems to be missing from the Indians so far. 18' Afghanistan looks to be the more settled side so far. They are trying to build from the back while India are trying to break them on the counter. We expected the opposite to take place. However, when it comes to creating chances, India have the upper hand so far. They have won three corner kicks and looked threatening to score all the time. 17' Afghanistan's Noor Husin takes a shot from the distance. However, it trickles wide and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is unbothered by it. 15' India's coach Igor Stimac gets a yellow card. The Croatian needs to be careful here. 13' Ashique Kuruniyan dispossesses Haroon Amiri and tries to move forward. But, he is stopped in his tracks by Noor Husin. The referee awards India a foul just outside their half. 11' Brandon Fernandes goes central this time and Rahul Bheke was close to winning the duel. Afghanistan clear it hastily and India appeal for a handball. But it was the ball hitting the hand and not vice-versa. Good decision by the referee. 10' India win another corner kick! Sunil Chhetri drills a low shot from the left hand side of the box but Haroon Amiri gets his leg before and averts the danger momentarily. 9' Brandon Fernandes this time lodges the ball into the far post and Sandesh Jhingan wins the aerial battle with Masih Saighani. However, his header is cleared off the line by Haroon Amiri. 8' India win another corner. The combination of Suresh Wangjam and Manvir Singh down the right flank results in the Blue Tiger getting another corner from the same end. 7' Afghanistan's David Najem lodges a high cross from their right flank. But Gurpreet Singh Sandhu comes out of his line to flap the ball from thin air. 5' SHOT! Afghanistan's captain Farshad Noor takes a shot from the edge of the penalty box but Chinglensana Singh makes a vital block. 2' Brandon Fernandes lodges a delicious looking corner kick at the near post but an Afghanistan player gets his head to it first. A player from blue shirt tries to fire the ball into the back of the net on the rebound but it is blocked again by an Afghanistan defender. 1' Good play from India! Subhasish wins the ball in the centre of the park and Brandon initiates a counter-attack. The move ends with Manvir Singh firing a shot from the right side and goalkeeper gets a touch to prevent the ball from going in. India win a corner! 1' PEEP! India get us underway from the right to left of our screen. All the pre-match formalities are completed. We will be back with live action in a couple of minutes. Now, it's time for the National Anthem of India! First up is the National Anthem of Afghanistan. Afghanistan are out next and they are wearing clear white colors. The Indian Football Team are the first side to come out at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. They are donning their navy blue Panthera Tigris jersey. India and Afghanistan have squared off against each other 10 times, with the former winning five times. The Blue Tigers have lost only once while the remaining four matches ended in a draw. There are two players from FC Goa while ATK Mohun Bagan has three representatives. Hyderabad FC has only one player from their ranks in the starting line-up tonight. Despite finishing sixth in the ISL this season, Bengaluru FC has five players in the starting line-up today - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Sunil Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan, and Suresh Wangjam. The last time the two teams clashed, it ended in a 1-1 draw. Afghanistan took the lead through Zelfy Nazary at the stroke of half-time. But, Seiminlen Doungel equalized for the Blue Tigers after heading home a corner kick by Brandon Fernandes. Glan Martins has had a phenomenal season in the ISL and AFC Champions League with FC Goa and has been duly rewarded with a national team call-up. Read my colleague Harsh Murarka's feature about him . It looks like the Indian Football Team will play in a 4-4-2 formation. With Gurpreet Singh Sandhu guarding the goal, Sandesh Jhingan and Chinglensana Singh will shoulder centre-back responsibilities. Rahul Bheke, who was shown a red card in India's match against Qatar, returns to the starting line-up in the right back position. Subhasish Bose will guard the left flank.
The midfield duo of Glan Martins and Brandon Fernandes will try to break down Afghanistan's attacks and also launch attacks from the centre of the park. Suresh Singh Wangjam will maraud down the right wing while Ashique Kuruniyan is expected to do the same on the opposite flank.
Manvir Singh is likely to play as a No.9 for the Indian Football Team alongside his strike partner and captain Sunil Chhetri. Afghanistan XI: Ovays Azizi (GK), Masih Saighani, David Najem, Haroon Amiri, Noor Husin, Farshad Noor (c), Faysal Shayesteh, Milad Intezar, Amir Sharifi, Omid Popalzay, Sharif Mukhammad
Subs: Adam Najem, Zubayr Amiri, Jabar Sharza, Noraollah Amiri, Abdul Najem, Q Maziar Kouhyar, Husain Alizada, Fardin Hakimi, Samir Samandari, Hossein Zamani, Faisal Ahmad Hamidi, Hamidullah Wakili India XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Chinglensana Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Glan Martins, Manvir Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Sunil Chhetri (c), Suresh Wangjam, Ashique Kuruniyan.
Subs: Adil Khan, Anirudh Thapa, Bipin Singh, Dheeraj Singh (GK), Pronay Halder, Udanta Singh, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, Akash Mishra, Pritam Kotal, Amrinder Singh (GK) Ladies and gentlemen, the line-ups are out. The Indian Football Team captain Sunil Chhetri has 74 goals to his name in 117 matches. A hat-trick would tie him with Pele, who had 77 international goals in his acclaimed career. Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live commentary of today's 2022 FIFA WCQ match between the Indian Football Team and Afghanistan. This is your host Abhishek Kundu and I will be providing you minute-by-minute commentaries of the match.
The Indian Football Team currently occupies the third position in Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ with 6 points from 7 matches in their bag. Afghanistan, on the other hand, are one place below them and have just 5 points from 7 matches. Both teams have picked up only one win in their campaign so far and both of them have been against Bangladesh.
The team that finishes in the third position in Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ will automatically qualify for the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. However, only four out of eight fourth-placed teams will make their way into the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
A draw will be sufficient for the Indian Football Team to finish in the third spot of Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ. However, the head coach of Blue Tigers Igor Stimac asserted that they will be playing for a victory.
"I don't know any coach or any team who would play for a draw. That situation might appear when you are facing much better sides. But then, you need to drop and defend for your life and wait for one, two, or three chances to counter-attack as we did against Qatar. We are not going out to play for a draw. We will go out to win it," the Croatian said.
The Indian Football Team will need to be wary of familiar names in the Afghanistan setup like Haroon Fakhruddin and Sharif Mukhammad, who plied their trades in I-League clubs Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala respectively. Hossein Zamani, who represented the Netherlands U-15 side and is just 18 years old, will also be a name to watch out for.
Where to watch: Hotstar, Jio TV, and Star Sports Network
Prediction: India 1-0 Afghanistan Hossein Zamani Zubayr Amiri
Norlla Amiri
Hossein Zamani
Th Bipin Singh
Ovays Azizi Hossein Zamani
Liston Colaco
Zohib Islam Amiri Lalengmawia
Chinglensana Singh Adam Najem
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu 4 Chinglensana Singh 5 Sandesh Jhingan 3 Subashish Bose 2 Rahul Bheke 21 Suresh Singh Wangjam 8 Glan Martins 10 Brandon Fernandes 22 Ashique Kuruniyan 9 Manvir Singh 11 Sunil Chhetri 1 Ovays Azizi 3 David Najem 2 Masih Saighani 4 Zohib Islam Amiri 16 Milad Intezar 6 Noor Husin 10 Faysal Shayesteh 21 Sharif Mohammad 8 Farshad Noor 19 Omid Popalzay 18 Amir Sharifi Indian National Football team Subs 23 Amrinder Singh 13 Dheeraj Singh 20 Pritam Kotal 19 Akash Mishra 12 Th Bipin Singh 14 Pronay Halder 6 Adil Khan 18 Sahal Abdul Samad 7 Anirudh Thapa 15 Udanta Singh 17 Liston Colaco 0 Lalengmawia Ralte Afghanistan Football Subs 22 Hamidullah Wakily 15 Fardin Hakimi 9 Jabar Sharza 17 Samir Samandari 5 Adam Najem 20 Hossein Zamani 0 Zubayr Amiri 0 Norlla Amiri MATCH DETAILS player name COMMENTARY TEXT
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022 Live Score Indian National Football team vs Afghanistan Football Live Score
1 - 1 FT Here's your host Abhishek Kundu signing off. Do stay tuned to Sportskeeda to get the latest Indian Football updates. Good night and take care! Both sides started the game cautiously and as a result of it, not a single goal was scored in the first half. But, a howler from Afghanistan's goalkeeper Ovays Azizi gifted India the lead in the 75th minute. But, the Afghan Lions showed enough heart to claw back into the game courtesy of an impeccable finish from Hossein Zamani in the 81st minute. But that was it as the final scoreline read India 1-1 Afghanistan.Igor Stimac and Sunil Chhetri wanted a victory for India. But, they should be content with the draw as it guarantees them a place in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Qualifiers. 90+5' PEEP! PEEP! PEEP! That's it. Liston Colaco takes all the time in the world to block his man as the referee blows his final whistle. 90+4' Afghanistan's Hussein Zamani commits a mistimed lunging tackle on Liston Colaco. 90+3' Sharif Mukhammad's delivery falls straight into the hands of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Too near to the goalkeeper. 90+2' Afghanistan wins another free-kick. A lot of bodies upfront. Suresh Wangjam commits a needless foul on Noor Husin. 90+1' Gurpreet Singh Sandhu gives a long shout and collects the free-kick comfortably. He dodges an Afghanistani player before releasing a long ball down the line. Four minutes added on. 90' HIGH! Subhasish takes a long throw-in but Sandesh Jhingan plays it backward to his ATK Mohun Bagan teammate. Subhasish swings a cross and Manvir gets his head at the end of it. But, his effort is inches wide. Manvir has both his hands on his head. 88' Rahul Bheke's long throw gets a head from Bipin Singh. But, an Afghanistani defender clears the danger before Manvir Singh can get at the end of it. Just five minutes left in regulation play. A draw would be enough for India to get them through to the third round of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Will they be successful in holding their nerves? 85' An Afghanistani defender clears Bipin Singh's corner and Apuia takes a shot from distance. But it is high and wide. 84' Bipin Singh swings a cross from the left flank but it misses everyone and Rahul Bheke has a shot at glory from distance. He gets a deflection and India wins a corner kick. 81' GOOOOOOOOAAAAAL! Afghanistan scores. Noor Husin beats two players in the left flank and finds an unmarked Hossein Zamani inside the box. The angle is tight but the 18-year-old wonderkid unleashes a powerful shot which clatters the crossbar before bulging the back of the net.
IMPECCABLE FINISH! No chance whatsoever for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to save that one. 80' Ashique Kuruniyan is stretchered off. Igor Stimac makes his final change.
OFF- Ashique Kuruniyan
ON- Bipin Singh 78' GOAAAAA- NO GOAL KICK! An early cross from Liston Colaco finds Ashique on the left flank. He beats a man and drills a low cross. The ball takes an untimely deflection from an Afghanistan defender before crossing the line. However, the assistant referee raises his flag as he judges Ashique to have failed to keep the ball in play. And, the replay confirms it was the correct decision. 75' OWN GOAL! India takes the lead. Ashique lobs a high cross from the left flank and Afghanistan's goalkeeper Ovays Azizi fails to trap the ball properly. He collects the ball but it slips between his hands and the ball crosses the line. BUTTER FINGERS! But India won't mind that. 73' Afghanistan make a change. The 18-year-old wonderboy comes into the pitch.
OFF- Adam Najem
ON- Hossein Zamani 72' The referee stops play as Haroon Amiri tumbles down the ground rolling with his hand across his face. Manvir is lucky to not see a red card as he wildly flailed his arms. 70' Liston almost provides an assist for India with his first touch as his curling delivery in the danger area troubles the Afghanistan defense. But, Manvir Singh was a little behind and Afghanistan's defender collects the ball. 69' India make another change. The Captain Fantastic will need to wait for his 75th international goal.
OFF- Sunil Chhetri
ON- Liston Colaco 68' HIGH! Sunil Chhetri steps up to take it but his shot misses the target narrowly. 67' FREE KICK TO INDIA JUST OUTSIDE THE BOX! Haroon Amiri is beaten by Ashique's pace and the former Afghanistan captain tugs the shorts of Ashique to concede a free-kick. 66' SHOT! Omid Popalzay leaves Subhasish for the dead and unleashes a shot from the outside of the box. He looks off-balanced and his shot sails inches high. Afghanistan looked ever so close to taking the lead. 65' Glan Martins hassles his marker and ultimately wins the ball. However, India fail to capitalize on the momentum and loses possession. 63' India make their first substitution. Igor Stimac wants more solidity in the midfield and wants his team to stitch up some simple passes.
OFF- Brandon Fernandes
ON- Lalengmawia 62' Brandon Fernandes takes his corner kick low and hard and the first man clears it. 61' Brandon Fernandes swings a beautiful free-kick and Afghanistani defense was in sixes and sevens. But, Haroon Amiri's last ditched effort ensures India win only a corner kick. Manvir Singh was lurking in the background to get his foot in time and tap the ball home. Just thirty minutes of regulation time remaining! And both the sides are treading cautiously. No one wants to concede a goal. 60' David Najem swings a cross but there is no Afghanistan player at the far post to connect it. 59' Rahul Bheke takes a long throw-in and Subhasish Bose flicks it at the penalty spot. Sunil Chhetri connects the succeeding shot but Afghanistan goalkeeper collects the ball comfortably as his effort was tame. 58' SHOT! Omid Popalzay takes a shot from the outside of the box but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu positions himself perfectly to collect the ball. He set it up for himself by juggling the ball into his stronger foot before unleashing his volley. 57' Noor Husin almost finds Sharifi with a route one football. But Chinglensana Singh towers above the latter name to win the header. Subhasish Bose clears the danger ultimately. 56' A decent ball from the left flank this time by Ashique but there was only Manvir in the box to aim for. The ball trickles wide and goes out of play. 55' Brandon Fernandes swishes a corner kick and it misses everyone! India, however, retains possession. 54' Manvir Singh crosses the ball from the right flank but it is cleared for a corner kick. 52' Brandon Fernandes tries to go centrally down the pitch, however, two Afghan shirts crowd him and he loses the ball. That has been the story all night long. The Indian players trying to go solo while Afghanistan defenders are defending in numbers and preventing the ball to reach Sunil Chhetri. The only chemistry which India has shown so far is between Manvir Singh and Suresh Wangjam down the right flank. 50' Igor Stimac nods his head in displeasure as another foul goes against India's favor. 48' Ashique Kuruniyan wins the ball in the middle of the park but a body check from Masih Saighani stops him on his tracks. Sunil Chhetri was waiting on the outside to receive a pass from him. Early signs of intention from India! 47' Absolute beast of a defending from Sandesh Jhingan! The ATK Mohun Bagan defender stoops down to win the ball and Amir Sharifi collides his leg with his head to concede a foul. 46' PEEP! Afghanistan get us underway from the right to left side of our screen. Welcome back to the second-half action of the India vs Afghanistan match! 45+1' India take too much time in trying to whip a cross as they look troubled to break the organized Afghanistan defense. And, with that, the referee blows his half-time whistle. One minute added on. 45' India win the possession in the centre of the park and Suresh Wangjam tries to find Manvir. But, there are enough white shirts in the back to intercept that pass. 44' Haroon Amiri tries to lodge an early cross but Brandon Fernandes blocks it. 43' David Najem whips a cross from the right flank. But it is wasteful. Good intent from Afghanistan but they are lacking the final touch. 42' SHOT! Amir Sharifi goes for glory from the distance. It is drilled low and hard but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu kneels down to collect the ball comfortably. India on the backfoot in the last fifteen minutes. 41' Glan Martins is tucked down by Sharif and India have to rebuild the attack once again. 40' Ashique fouls Noor Husin in the left flank. That has been an interesting battle in the game so far. 39' Afghanistan go all the way back and Saighani whips in a swinging cross but Haroon Amiri commits a foul in the box and India win back possession. 38' SHOT! Haroon Amiri's glancing header is inches wide. Afghanistan nearly took the lead there. They win a corner this time as Jhingan got the last touch. 37' Pressure building on India! This time Rahul Bheke clips the legs of Noor Husin and Afghanistan win another free-kick in the opposite half. 36' Faysal Shayesteh's free-kick is deflected by Glan Martins in the wall and Afghanistan win a throw-in. 34' Chinglensana Singh runs clumsily into Omid Popalzay and fouls the latter. He goes into the book and Afghanistan win a foul from a shooting range. 32' Sharif Mukhammad once again appeals for a penalty from the referee but it seems as if he has gone down to the ground very cheaply. 31' Brandon Fernandes' corner kick is again central this time but Rahul Bheke fails to get in time. Afghanistan look threatening on the counter with a 3-on-2 situation in their favor. However, the Blue Tigers sprint their bodies back in time and the move ends with Sharif Mukhammad fouling Ashique Kuruniyan to concede possession. 30' India win another corner kick! 29' Afghanistan makes a change!
OFF- Farshad Noor
ON- Adam Najem 28' Afghanistan's captain Farshad Noor is down in the pitch clutching the inside of his right foot. He needs to be substituted immediately. 27' Ashique Kuruniyan cuts through the left flank and tries to find Sunil Chhetri in the box with a low cross. But, Masih Saighani again gets his leg in between and clears the lines. 26' Brandon Fernandes takes it short this time by giving it to Ashique Kuruniyan. The Bengaluru FC player lofts his shot but it doesn't trouble Afghanistan goalkeeper much. 25' Brandon Fernandes goes centrally this time and Rahul Bheke beats his marker to get a free header. However, his efforts don't end in a goal as an Afghanistani defender makes a goal-line clearance. 24' India win another corner kick! Brandon Fernandes floats a ball and Masih Saighani takes no risk by clearing it out of play. 23' Good tenacity from Suresh Wangjam! It seemed as if he would lose the ball but Afghanistan defenders foul him in the end to halt his movements. 21' Manvir Singh tries to do a give-and-go but his partner Sunil Chhetri dropped a little back. Communication seems to be missing from the Indians so far. 18' Afghanistan looks to be the more settled side so far. They are trying to build from the back while India are trying to break them on the counter. We expected the opposite to take place. However, when it comes to creating chances, India have the upper hand so far. They have won three corner kicks and looked threatening to score all the time. 17' Afghanistan's Noor Husin takes a shot from the distance. However, it trickles wide and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is unbothered by it. 15' India's coach Igor Stimac gets a yellow card. The Croatian needs to be careful here. 13' Ashique Kuruniyan dispossesses Haroon Amiri and tries to move forward. But, he is stopped in his tracks by Noor Husin. The referee awards India a foul just outside their half. 11' Brandon Fernandes goes central this time and Rahul Bheke was close to winning the duel. Afghanistan clear it hastily and India appeal for a handball. But it was the ball hitting the hand and not vice-versa. Good decision by the referee. 10' India win another corner kick! Sunil Chhetri drills a low shot from the left hand side of the box but Haroon Amiri gets his leg before and averts the danger momentarily. 9' Brandon Fernandes this time lodges the ball into the far post and Sandesh Jhingan wins the aerial battle with Masih Saighani. However, his header is cleared off the line by Haroon Amiri. 8' India win another corner. The combination of Suresh Wangjam and Manvir Singh down the right flank results in the Blue Tiger getting another corner from the same end. 7' Afghanistan's David Najem lodges a high cross from their right flank. But Gurpreet Singh Sandhu comes out of his line to flap the ball from thin air. 5' SHOT! Afghanistan's captain Farshad Noor takes a shot from the edge of the penalty box but Chinglensana Singh makes a vital block. 2' Brandon Fernandes lodges a delicious looking corner kick at the near post but an Afghanistan player gets his head to it first. A player from blue shirt tries to fire the ball into the back of the net on the rebound but it is blocked again by an Afghanistan defender. 1' Good play from India! Subhasish wins the ball in the centre of the park and Brandon initiates a counter-attack. The move ends with Manvir Singh firing a shot from the right side and goalkeeper gets a touch to prevent the ball from going in. India win a corner! 1' PEEP! India get us underway from the right to left of our screen. All the pre-match formalities are completed. We will be back with live action in a couple of minutes. Now, it's time for the National Anthem of India! First up is the National Anthem of Afghanistan. Afghanistan are out next and they are wearing clear white colors. The Indian Football Team are the first side to come out at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. They are donning their navy blue Panthera Tigris jersey. India and Afghanistan have squared off against each other 10 times, with the former winning five times. The Blue Tigers have lost only once while the remaining four matches ended in a draw. There are two players from FC Goa while ATK Mohun Bagan has three representatives. Hyderabad FC has only one player from their ranks in the starting line-up tonight. Despite finishing sixth in the ISL this season, Bengaluru FC has five players in the starting line-up today - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Sunil Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan, and Suresh Wangjam. The last time the two teams clashed, it ended in a 1-1 draw. Afghanistan took the lead through Zelfy Nazary at the stroke of half-time. But, Seiminlen Doungel equalized for the Blue Tigers after heading home a corner kick by Brandon Fernandes. Glan Martins has had a phenomenal season in the ISL and AFC Champions League with FC Goa and has been duly rewarded with a national team call-up. Read my colleague Harsh Murarka's feature about him . It looks like the Indian Football Team will play in a 4-4-2 formation. With Gurpreet Singh Sandhu guarding the goal, Sandesh Jhingan and Chinglensana Singh will shoulder centre-back responsibilities. Rahul Bheke, who was shown a red card in India's match against Qatar, returns to the starting line-up in the right back position. Subhasish Bose will guard the left flank.
The midfield duo of Glan Martins and Brandon Fernandes will try to break down Afghanistan's attacks and also launch attacks from the centre of the park. Suresh Singh Wangjam will maraud down the right wing while Ashique Kuruniyan is expected to do the same on the opposite flank.
Manvir Singh is likely to play as a No.9 for the Indian Football Team alongside his strike partner and captain Sunil Chhetri. Afghanistan XI: Ovays Azizi (GK), Masih Saighani, David Najem, Haroon Amiri, Noor Husin, Farshad Noor (c), Faysal Shayesteh, Milad Intezar, Amir Sharifi, Omid Popalzay, Sharif Mukhammad
Subs: Adam Najem, Zubayr Amiri, Jabar Sharza, Noraollah Amiri, Abdul Najem, Q Maziar Kouhyar, Husain Alizada, Fardin Hakimi, Samir Samandari, Hossein Zamani, Faisal Ahmad Hamidi, Hamidullah Wakili India XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Chinglensana Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Glan Martins, Manvir Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Sunil Chhetri (c), Suresh Wangjam, Ashique Kuruniyan.
Subs: Adil Khan, Anirudh Thapa, Bipin Singh, Dheeraj Singh (GK), Pronay Halder, Udanta Singh, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, Akash Mishra, Pritam Kotal, Amrinder Singh (GK) Ladies and gentlemen, the line-ups are out. The Indian Football Team captain Sunil Chhetri has 74 goals to his name in 117 matches. A hat-trick would tie him with Pele, who had 77 international goals in his acclaimed career. Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live commentary of today's 2022 FIFA WCQ match between the Indian Football Team and Afghanistan. This is your host Abhishek Kundu and I will be providing you minute-by-minute commentaries of the match.
The Indian Football Team currently occupies the third position in Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ with 6 points from 7 matches in their bag. Afghanistan, on the other hand, are one place below them and have just 5 points from 7 matches. Both teams have picked up only one win in their campaign so far and both of them have been against Bangladesh.
The team that finishes in the third position in Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ will automatically qualify for the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. However, only four out of eight fourth-placed teams will make their way into the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
A draw will be sufficient for the Indian Football Team to finish in the third spot of Group E of the 2022 FIFA WCQ. However, the head coach of Blue Tigers Igor Stimac asserted that they will be playing for a victory.
"I don't know any coach or any team who would play for a draw. That situation might appear when you are facing much better sides. But then, you need to drop and defend for your life and wait for one, two, or three chances to counter-attack as we did against Qatar. We are not going out to play for a draw. We will go out to win it," the Croatian said.
The Indian Football Team will need to be wary of familiar names in the Afghanistan setup like Haroon Fakhruddin and Sharif Mukhammad, who plied their trades in I-League clubs Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala respectively. Hossein Zamani, who represented the Netherlands U-15 side and is just 18 years old, will also be a name to watch out for.
Where to watch: Hotstar, Jio TV, and Star Sports Network
Prediction: India 1-0 Afghanistan Hossein Zamani Zubayr Amiri
Norlla Amiri
Hossein Zamani
Th Bipin Singh
Ovays Azizi Hossein Zamani
Liston Colaco
Zohib Islam Amiri Lalengmawia
Chinglensana Singh Adam Najem
1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu 4 Chinglensana Singh 5 Sandesh Jhingan 3 Subashish Bose 2 Rahul Bheke 21 Suresh Singh Wangjam 8 Glan Martins 10 Brandon Fernandes 22 Ashique Kuruniyan 9 Manvir Singh 11 Sunil Chhetri 1 Ovays Azizi 3 David Najem 2 Masih Saighani 4 Zohib Islam Amiri 16 Milad Intezar 6 Noor Husin 10 Faysal Shayesteh 21 Sharif Mohammad 8 Farshad Noor 19 Omid Popalzay 18 Amir Sharifi Indian National Football team Subs 23 Amrinder Singh 13 Dheeraj Singh 20 Pritam Kotal 19 Akash Mishra 12 Th Bipin Singh 14 Pronay Halder 6 Adil Khan 18 Sahal Abdul Samad 7 Anirudh Thapa 15 Udanta Singh 17 Liston Colaco 0 Lalengmawia Ralte Afghanistan Football Subs 22 Hamidullah Wakily 15 Fardin Hakimi 9 Jabar Sharza 17 Samir Samandari 5 Adam Najem 20 Hossein Zamani 0 Zubayr Amiri 0 Norlla Amiri MATCH DETAILS player name COMMENTARY TEXT