The Big Picture
India travel to the high altitudes of Abha, Saudi Arabia to face Afghanistan in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (WCQ) with plenty at stake.
On paper, India's opponents, ranked 158 in the world, ought to be easy prey for Igor Stimac's side, who's disappointing AFC Asian Cup campaign saw them slide down to 117 in the FIFA rankings (102 when the tournament began).
The current state of Group A has India in third place (after a 1-0 win away to Kuwait and a 0-3 loss at home to Qatar). With the top two teams qualifying for the third round and gaining automatic entry into the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, India will be aiming for second place in the group - Qatar (WR 37) are naturally favourites to top the group. Their competition comes from Kuwait and Afghanistan, with double-header against the latter (on the 21st and 26th of March) now turning into must-win games.
Afghanistan vs India live: score, updates, commentary, news from FIFA World Cup qualifier
India are already in a favourable position, having done the hard work of beating Kuwait away from home. Beat Afghanistan twice, a minimum of a draw at home to Kuwait and they will have achieved history (assuming Qatar win all their games) - becoming the first Indian side to reach the third round of WCQs ever since the qualification format was introduced in 1985.
With two games against Afghanistan coming up, Igor Stimac's India will look to take advantage and strengthen their position in the top two of the group. #FIFAWorldCup #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/UnTgft7QoN
- ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) March 20, 2024
India's task has been made easier with Afghanistan's players boycotting the national side claiming poor treatment by the national federation. Only seven of the full-strength side that beat Mongolia in the first round of qualifying have reportedly returned to the national team, with manager Ashley Westwood making do by calling up a variety of players plying their trade in lower leagues abroad. Those sides were beaten 0-4 by Kuwait and 1-8 by Qatar in November last year but expect former Bengaluru FC boss Westwood to have done his homework - especially with his knowledge of Indian football.
Yet, the expectation is for India to win, and despite a logistically complex arrival into Abha to acclimatize to the high-altitude conditions, Igor Stimac's side is expected to deliver.
What they said:
Sunil Chhetri, captain - India:
"They will play like a unit, they will be aggressive, they will know exactly what they have to do because that's how Ashley Westwood is. But I think it's more about us. We are here right in the corner of Saudi Arabia and we really have to bounce back after what happened in the Asian Cup. It's not going to be easy. We have to turn up."
Igor Stimac, coach - India:
"Since our match will kick off at 22:00 here, we have moved our daily schedule forward a few hours so that players can adjust their biorhythm accordingly."
"We have been training normally as usual. We came here earlier so the boys can adapt to the different climate in Abha, and things look okay at the moment. Ashley knows most of our boys quite well and has been preparing his team for us since the Asian Cup. A few months back they had a camp in Abha to work on their game plan and played a friendly with a local team here. But we are sure they will be a much better side than what we have seen in their opening games."
Ashley Westwood, coach - Afghanistan:
"There are many challenges ahead playing against India, but we are all ready to play and we will try to get a good result so that the people of Afghanistan will be proud of us."
Form Guide
(Most recent first)
India: LLLLW
Igor Stimac's side are on a run of four straight losses, with a win against Kuwait in the WCQs being their last victory, which was followed by losses to Qatar (0-3) and then the Asian Cup defeats against Australia (0-2) and Uzbekistan (0-3) and Syria (0-1).
Afghanistan: LLWWL
Afghanistan's two most recent games have been heavy defeats - 1-8 thrashing by Qatar and then a 0-4 loss to Kuwait. Prior to that a pair of 1-0 wins against Mongolia saw them qualify for the second round of the WCQs.
Head-to-Head
India have dominated Afghanistan historically, winning seven times and losing only once in 11 games.
Total games played: 11
India wins: 7
Afghanistan wins: 1
Draws: 3
The most recent encounter in June 2022, however, was a thriller for the ages, as India conceded a late equalizer before Sahal Abdul Samad gave them a 2-1 win in injury time - sending India through to the AFC Asian Cup. Prior to that, Afghanistan held India to two 1-1 draws in World Cup qualifiers, showing their increase in competitiveness.
Afghanistan's only win over India came in the 2013 SAFF Championship final, a 2-0 victory which saw the involvement of Balal Arezou and Sunil Chhetri - who are both expected to start tomorrow.
The Concerns
For India
Igor Stimac is always free with his concerns for India - and chief among them is the altitude of Abha, 2270m above sea level. India's training sessions had seen the players be affected by the lack of oxygen initially, but they are reportedly up to speed ahead of the game. Yet, Afghanistan are always a side that's full of commitment and hard running and India will need to be on their toes, especially in the latter stages of the game.
Additionally, there is the issue of Sandesh Jhingan's absence through injury - which ought to be tempered by the return of Anwar Ali, but Jhingan's defensive nous will be sorely missed.
India also haven't scored in their last four games, with Manvir Singh's 75th minute winner against Kuwait the last time India found the net. The issue could be compounded by the reported injury of Sahal Abdul Samad ahead of the game, as his driving runs could have proved crucial in varying the attack.
Stimac has included Amey Ranawade, Jay Gupta and Imran Khan as fresh new faces, but the notion remains that his side's style of play, especially going forward, might have been figured out by opposition coaches, especially one as knowledgeable about Indian football as Ashley Westwood.
For Afghanistan
The concerns are plenty for Ashley Westwood, chief among them the player boycott - who've been unhappy with the treatment meted out to them by the federation. This necessitated Westwood reportedly calling up the likes of 16-year-old Amin Nabizada of Watford (although visa/passport issues might see him miss out). With only seven of the full-strength side that featured against Mongolia returning, the squad is made up of late entrants and aged, journeyman footballers.
What cohesion Westwood will be able to manage will be debatable, especially with demoralizing defeats against Qatar, and especially Kuwait.
The Key Players
For India
Sunil Chhetri is important by default, and his contributions to the side need no more repetition. What Stimac will be keen on is the return of Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh - two members of the squad that were key in India's trophy-winning run in 2023.
Jeakson, in particular, will be key in the rest defence state to prevent transitions as Afghanistan are likely to sit back and counter. His presence will allow India to commit more men forward in a bid to break what might be a low block from Westwood.
What may prove to be Stimac's ace is his bench strength, with plenty of attacking options to call upon in the latter stages against players that will tire in the high-altitude conditions.
For Afghanistan
Zohib Islam Amiri, the 34-year-old at the heart of Westwood's defence, has plenty of experience in India, turning out for multiple I-League and ISL clubs. He's successfully thwarted Chhetri in the past and has added motivation to do so once more given he will be retiring after the games against India.
Up front, 35-year-old Balal Arezou is Afghanistan's second-highest scorer and has faced up to India in the past as well. Taufee Skandari returns to the squad and has been one of Afghanistan's better players in recent times.
The Predicted XIs
India XI (4-2-3-1): Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Amey Ranawade, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Subhasish Bose; Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh; Manvir Singh, Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte; Sunil Chhetri
Ranawade might get the nod over Nikhil Poojary at right-back after Stimac spoke in glowing terms of the debutant ahead of the game. Bheke ought to move back into defence to cover for Jhingan's absence alongside the returning Anwar Ali. The high-altitude nature might see Stimac opt for players with the lungs to run all game long - thus the inclusion of Subhasish, Suresh and Manvir.
Afghanistan (4-4-2): Faisal Ahmad Hamidi (GK); Omid Popalzay, Mahboob Hanifi, Haroon Amiri, Mosawer Ahadi; Jamshed Asekzai, Taufee Skandari, Rahmat Akbari, Mustafa Azadzoy; Balal Arezou, Omid Musawi
The players returning from the boycott ought to walk straight back into the lineup, although Amiri might keep his spot in the defensive line. Rahmat Akbari, who's spent many years in the A-League, ought to be important in midfield and his energy will prove vital, as will Skandari. Westwood employed a 4-4-2 formation against both Qatar and Kuwait, but might attempt an adventurous 4-3-3 that may see Jabar Sharza come in.