Indian football team´s Sunil Chhetri and Oman´s Mohammed al Musallami vie for the ball. Get highlights and analysis of the India vs Oman FIFA World Cup qualifier match below.
Rabia Said al Alawi al Mandhar´s two strikes late in the match proved to be the difference as Indian football team lost 1-2 to Oman in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign opener against Oman. Earlier, Sunil Chhetri scored his 72nd international goal to give India a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. India, pressing high and catching the Oman with quick breaks down the flanks, maintained the lead going into the break in Guwahati. But the hosts soon ran out of steam and things fall apart after the 80th minute. (Get highlights and analysis of the India vs Oman FIFA World Cup qualifier match below.)
The result more or less highlights the fact that very little has changed with Indian football. Today, Igor Stimac’s side did all they could to play the tight tactical lanes and the close marking game needed to stifle the Oman players for space. For 80 minutes, it worked. But, cliche alert, it is a game of 90 minutes.
There are a ton of positives, of course. It was a far more composed performance in midfield and defence from India. Stimac and his team seem to have coached the instinct to make the final tackle out of his central defenders. No penalty was conceded. But, the lack of game time, the fact that this is an off-season game for India, and the lack of this sort of competition every week is the difference. As it has been for ever and ever.
We will be back with a full-length review video of the game tomorrow and then for the next qualifier at Qatar on September 10.
Welcome to our live blog:
Here we go. This is the official start of the Igor Stimac era in Indian football. A real competition for a change. India begin their qualification campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup against Oman tonight. Welcome to our live blog of the match staged in Guwahati.
Here is how we lineup ?? against Oman ?? #INDOMA ⚔ #WCQ ?? #BackTheBlue ? #IndianFootball ⚽ #BlueTigers ? pic.twitter.com/9MI6NvgtlN
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 5, 2019
The @OmanFA XI to face @IndianFootball #INDOMA #BlueTigers #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/U41hJTv8QP
— Goal India (@Goal_India) September 5, 2019
India, part of Group E of the second stage of FIFA World Cup qualifying from Asia, is clubbed with Asian champions Qatar, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Oman. Since Qatar are the hosts of the 2022 edition of the World Cup, a second-place finish in the group would guarantee automatic progress to the next stage of qualification for India. That adds to the stakes for the home match against Oman, which is the second highest ranked side in the group.
Indian football team, playing at home, would be keen to get a point at least from the outing, if not an outright victory. But they have the weight of history against them. The hosts have never won against Oman in a FIFA-recognised match.
India would miss Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Coach Igor Stimac seems to have taken a liking to the the 18-year old midfielder. He was the only player who had featured in all five matches under him.
The teams are out in the middle. Time for the national anthems.
India start the proceedings. A big game tonight as far as the group dynamics is concerned. And India will have to make the home conditions count and take points away from this match against the higher ranked Oman.
Oman defenders holding the ball to get some control over the pace. They build from the left flank but the move is flagged down for offside.
3' Udanta earns the first corner for India down the right flank. Jhingan takes it but the poor delivery is dealt with quite easily by the Oman defense.
India in their traditional home strip of blue and blue attacking from left to right. Oman are in all red today in what is, both sides will hope, the contest for second-place in Group E. But there's a long, long way to go for any of that. Ashique Kuruniyan is back on the left but for us it's Rahul Bheke, in the centre of defence, who will be the player to watch. Sahal Abdul Samad, it seems, is the super sub in Igor Stimac's plans tonight. Contain till the humidity saps the Omanis and then push for the win?
KICK-OFF ⚽ Here we go as the #BlueTigers ? face Oman in the first match of their #WCQ ??#INDOMA ⚔ #BackTheBlue? #IndianFootball⚽ pic.twitter.com/2NzK7gYPZu
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) September 5, 2019
10’ Annyeonghaseyo to anyone reading this blog from South Korea! Not much to report from Guwahati other than the predictable fact that Oman are bossing the game. Abdulaziz Maqbali runs off Bheke’s shoulder and fires at goal from a somewhat difficult angle. Gurpreet’s big palms keep it out.
Guwahati is quite loud it must be said. There’s a decent crowd….
12’ Oh wait, some India from India’s end, long ball from Thapa, who releases Chhetri. The Oman goalkeeper has to run off his line to clear. He does.
15’ No Way!!!!! Udanta hits the crossbar!!! Chhetri releases him with a good pass, and Udanta does all the hard work from the tough angle, he lifts it over the keeper, but perhaps a little too much. Oman escape, India despair.
19’ Thapa releases Ashique on the left and despite the goalkeeper rushing off his line, the winger’s pace sees him win the ball and put in a cross. No luck though. Oman clearly. Not cleanly.
20’ From a corner, Thapa again delivers perfectly for Jhingan, who has a free header. He drags it high and wide.
21’ India are killing Oman. Ashique is in the mood and so is Thapa. The former collects a cute little ball up the line and casually nutmegs the Oman defender on the left, he also lays a perfect low cross in the centre with Chhetri arriving, but Oman clear. And off a counter they win a corner.
22’ That Jhingan header looks worse with every replay. He was clear. Needed to at least hit the target.
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