India defeats Kuwait and qualifies for FIFA World Cup 2026


Posted November 17, 2023 by winexch0

It is high time for celebration and great news for Indian football fans as India qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 by defeating Kuwait in a nail-biting match.

 
Striker Manvir Singh scored the game's only goal in the 75th minute of India's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. Manvir Singh's left-footed goal inclined the result of the game in favor of India. The Indian fans in the stadium were quiet until the first goal. If you have missed the live match, you can watch the latest football match highlights at WINEXCH.COM. Apart from the latest soccer highlights, you can also watch the live matches there.

There was a massive show of artificial lighting in the stadium but Manvir’s goal ultimately stole the show. After appearing to be a dull match for the better part of ninety minutes, the lanky striker found the right spot in the opposing box to head home a Lallianzuala Chhangte cross from the left with a clean, powerful left-footed shot that left Kuwaiti goalkeeper Abdul Rahman Marzouq completely flattened.

The Indian football team is now traveling to Bhuaneshwae to play their next match in the group against mighty Qatar. Qatar is undoubtedly the strongest side in the four-team contest. However, the victory of Team India against Kuwait on Thursday was a remarkable one. It was of great significance as beating Kuwait in their own backyard was a tough job to do.

The Kuwait football team was completely shattered and upset with the result. They were further humiliated during the add-on period when the Australian referee gave replacement Faisal Alharbi the marching orders for receiving his second yellow card, an incident that the offensive midfield player could have easily avoided.

All praise for the Indian football team, however, the head coach Igor Stimac also deserves a good amount of credit for this three-pointer match. His decision to leave Chhangte out of the starting eleven without delving too much into his plans caused some controversy. Coach Stimac unleashed Chhangte after the 64th minute of the game against an already harassed Kuwait defense. He executed the trick that the Blue Tigers were waiting for. Chhangte's approach towards the game brought wonders; his left-wing cross was a classic, with the right height, angle, and other components to leave the Kuwaiti defense completely bewildered.

It was just a few months ago when India and Kuwait battled it out hard twice in the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru. India won in tie-breakers in the championship match. However, Thursday’s victory against Kuwait was perhaps more creditable. It occurred within the regulatory period, when India undoubtedly had more influence over the events, and on Kuwaiti soil. Even though they had the advantage, India did not generate enough good opportunities, and the hosts were unable to deflect any blame from India because they had little trouble breaking through the Indian defense. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the goalie for India, had a very calm day at work; most of the attacks he had to deal with didn't hurt.

India squad for the match
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith, Amrinder Singh.

Defenders: Sandesh Jhingan, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh Naorem, Subhasish Bose.

Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Anirudh Thapa, Lalengmawia (Apuia), Brandon Fernandes, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Udanta Singh.


The Indian team was far more enterprising though they too failed to penetrate the Kuwait defence too many times. However, the Indian team executed the right plans at the right time, especially in the first half of the game. Nikhil Poojary and Manvir both were the chief operators of the game. Poojary once made an attempt to forage by floating the ball inside the box like a copybook. Captain Sunil Chhetri took a shot that was missing the direction but had the necessary impact. It glided beyond the bar. Aside from Manvir's amazing strike, that was possibly India's finest opportunity of the game.

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Last Updated November 17, 2023