India are in with a big chance to do a historic first in FIFA World Cup qualification: enter the third round of qualifiers. To do that, though, they have to beat Afghanistan twice (considering Kuwait are almost certain to do that in their ties) and the first of those matches is today.
An under-strength Afghanistan, reeling under the absence of several key players due to a boycott against the federation, have chosen Abha Saudi Arabia as their preferred home ground. Situated at an altitude of around 2200m above sea level, it’s not the easiest place to play in for a team that’s not accustomed to it… but that’s about all the advantage Afghanistan have. Their new head coach Ashley Westwood (only two games in) knows India and India’s footballers better than most opposition coaches, but if India play to their potential, it’s hard to see how Westwood and his charges can stop them.
Ahead of the match, India coach Igor Stimac was in bullish mood, promising the fans (via RevSportz) that India would be there in the third round for sure: now, though, the time for talk has ended. Without room for error, it’ll be fascinating to see how India perform with the weight of this favourites tag on their shoulders. More on that, here — Afghanistan vs India FIFA World Cup qualifier: Time to deliver for Stimac’s India
A late injury to Sahal Abdul Samad (reportedly a hamstring pull in training) means Stimac will once again be without his creator-in-chief but with Brandon Fernandes fit and firing and attacking options on the bench, it shouldn’t be more than a minor inconvenience for him to change the setup tactically.
Here’s our detailed preview for more: — India vs Afghanistan FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Chhetri and Co. face must-win fixture against depleted opposition
Our live blog will cover all the build-up to the big match and, of course, we’ll bring you every minute of the match live once it begins.
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