Five days ago when Indian Football Team lost their first Group E joint qualifier match of FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023, at their home ground against Oman, getting close to Qatar looked an impossible goal. While the Indian team performed really well in their last match, the final few crucial minutes turned the game around with an outstanding victory of Oman. With the Talismanic Sunil Chhetri down with the viral infection, Indian Football Team was suffering a major setback and heavily depended on the world-class performer Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
With the crowd cheering and applauding the Blue Tigers all along, India put its best foot forward in its recent match against Asian Champion Qatar at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha. Taking the world by amazement, Indian goalkeeper and current captain Gurpreet had some insane moves up his sleeves and delivered a scintillating performance on the field.
🗣”We had incredible support away from home and that helped us throughout the game”🙇🏽♂️💯
Here’s what @GurpreetGK had to say after tonight’s historic performance🙌🏽👏🏽
💙#BackTheBlue💙#QATIND ⚔ #WCQ 🌏🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/Nhpynb4rPl
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 10, 2019
🗣️ @GurpreetGK: "In football ⚽️, ‘anything is possible 💪🏻"
Read more 👉🏻 https://t.co/m90fGYhQf4#BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball 🇮🇳 #QATIND ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/5jk1AV1ARP
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 10, 2019
Two great saves by India in the first ten minutes of the game earned a huge roar from the audience, boosting the confidence of the whole team, proceeding which, India did not slow down. Even though Qatar dominated the match with the maximum possession of the football, India stubbornly tackled, giving a tough time to the Maroon squad.
FULL-TIME! IT'S OVER! INDIA HAVE HELD THE @afcasiancup CHAMPIONS! 🙌🙌@QFA threw the proverbial kitchen-sink at the #BlueTigers 🐯, but it was @stimac_igor and boys have held on to the draw! 👏👏
🇶🇦 0-0 🇮🇳#QATIND ⚔ #WCQ 🌏🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/03lnm57Zo4
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 10, 2019
Ending the match in a goalless draw, India not only played the best on the field against Qatar, which holds the 63 position on FIFA ranking but also brought one point to the team.
🇮🇳 hold @afcasiancup champions 🏆 @QFA 🇶🇦 to a goalless draw 🤩
Read more ⏩ https://t.co/xuWeSNeLwG#BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽️ #QATIND ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/W8hV1Adn6Y
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 10, 2019
Post-match, Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri proudly cheered for the team writing, “Dear India, THAT is my team and THOSE are my boys! Cannot describe how proud I am at this moment. Not a big result for the table, but in terms of a fight, as big as it can get. Huge credit to the coaching staff and the dressing room. #QATIND”
Dear India, THAT is my team and THOSE are my boys! Cannot describe how proud I am at this moment. Not a big result for the table, but in terms of a fight, as big as it can get. Huge credit to the coaching staff and the dressing room. #QATIND
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) September 10, 2019
As India maintained its position, keeping a hold on the Asian Cup 2023, Blue Tigers gave credits to their head coach Igor Stimac for guiding and helping them match up with the unbeatable Asian Football team Qatar.
.@stimac_igor has changed everything 💪🏻, players say in unison 🙌🏻
Read ⏩ https://t.co/sRLm2COJsS#BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/QVAeCb2gEK
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 11, 2019
The next match of India is against Bangladesh put up at Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata on 15 October.
