Kolkata: India’s all-important FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait is inching closer with every day. The West Asians are a familiar side for the Blue Tigers and this is set to be their fourth meeting in less than a year, and without a shadow of a doubt, the most significant one too.
For a simple reason — a spot in the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as well as direct qualification for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 is on the line. After four matchdays, back-to-back Asian champions Qatar have already sealed their place as table toppers with four wins. But the three remaining contenders for the second and final spot are separated by only one point, leaving open a wide range of possibilities come the last two matchdays on June 6 and 11.
Despite India’s defeat to Afghanistan in March, they still occupy the second spot in the group with four points. Afghanistan are also on four, but in third place due to their inferior goal difference, while Kuwait are at the bottom with three points.
India will face Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 before travelling to Doha to play Qatar on June 11, while Afghanistan will host Qatar in Saudi Arabia on June 6 before going on the road to take on Kuwait on June 11.
While the permutations and combinations may seem confusing at first, for India, simply put, a victory on June 6 will help them solidify second place since it will officially eliminate Kuwait from contention. India’s goal difference (-3) is also significantly greater than Afghanistan’s (-10), and as such, an Indian victory in Kolkata will require the Afghans to notch two miraculous results if they are to downturn the Blue Tigers’ advantage.
The Salt Lake Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Igor Stimac and his boys as they won all three of their matches in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in June 2022 against Cambodia (2-0), Afghanistan (2-1) and Hong Kong (4-0), respectively. In fact, India have not lost a match at Kolkata’s iconic stadium since a 0-3 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup Qualifiers in August 2006. Agencies
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