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A 2-1 loss to Afghanistan in Guwahati on Tuesday dealt a large blow to India’s hopes of qualifying for the third spherical of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Does the loss put India out of competition?
No. India are nonetheless second of their group in the mean time. If Kuwait do not handle a win in opposition to Qatar in a while Tuesday, it is going to stay that manner on the finish of the fourth spherical of matches on this group. India host Kuwait in June, in a recreation that’s an absolute must-win.
The group because it stands:
What do India have to do to stay in competition to qualify for the following spherical?
The lengthy, quick and medium type of the state of affairs is that India have to beat Kuwait. A draw most likely will not do, provided that Kuwait will face Afghanistan on the final matchday, and a win for one among them in that recreation will take them above India.
India had been unbeaten in three video games in opposition to Kuwait in 2023, together with a large 1-0 win in Kuwait Metropolis in November in the beginning of this qualifying marketing campaign which now appears a very long time in the past, given how poor the qualifiers have gone since then for India.
India had drawn twice in opposition to Kuwait within the SAFF Championships in Bengaluru earlier in 2023, so it is clear that the 2 groups are very evenly matched, so an India win is not a foregone conclusion.
If India beat Kuwait, they may go as much as seven factors, and can be sure that Kuwait can not catch them. If Afghanistan lose to Qatar of their subsequent recreation, then they will should beat Kuwait by a big margin to catch India, with Ashley Westwood’s facet’s objective distinction being severely impacted by an 8-1 loss to Qatar on the opening matchday.
What if India draw in opposition to Kuwait?
They must get a outcome in opposition to Qatar of their final recreation of this spherical to qualify for the following. If India lose to Qatar, then the winner of Kuwait in opposition to Afghanistan will undergo to the following spherical. If Kuwait and Afghanistan draw too, then India will want some extent in opposition to Qatar. The loss in opposition to Afghanistan has made it clear that Qatar are prone to be bit an excessive amount of for India, although they’d’ve certified by then, and may make a number of modifications to their squad.
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