Indian Men's Football Team's World Cup Hopes Crushed by Loss to Second-String Qatar Squad

India may rue what could have been a memorable victory, but controversial goals are an inherent aspect of football. Captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu ceased playing, convinced that the ball had gone out of play, a stance backed by the referees. However, a significant portion of India's defensive line also faltered, unlike Qatar. What initially seemed like a corner kick transpired into a goal, leaving Indian players exasperated by the officials' failure to act.

This contentious goal by Qatar, acknowledged in the absence of VAR during the World Cup qualifier, disrupted India's resilient defensive effort in the second half and negated Lallianzuala Chhangte's earlier goal. Qatar capitalized on this momentum, scoring again twelve minutes later, securing the lead and eliminating India from the World Cup qualifiers in the second round.

India may perceive injustice in Doha, yet they also draw criticism for their inconsistent performances. Despite displaying resilience against a weakened Qatar team at home, they only managed a draw and a loss against Afghanistan and a draw against Kuwait, despite undergoing a month-long training camp. While their elimination from the World Cup qualifiers is disheartening, India must acknowledge their own deficiencies that led to this outcome.