Kuwait 0
misplaced to
India 1 (Manvir Singh 75′)

Akhil Rawat
AIFF Media Team

KUWAIT CITY: Manvir Singh’s Seventy fifth-minute left-footed strike turned India’s begin to Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Qualification marketing campaign right into a memorable one as they defeated hosts Kuwait by a solitary purpose on the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

It was a time of quiet and of ready until Manvir Singh modified the very face of the sport. The gigantic stadium was bathed in synthetic lights however none of it might outshine Manvir in the long run. What appeared like a sedate contest for almost all of the 90-minute interval actually turned an thrilling one when the lanky striker parked himself on the proper place within the rival field to bang dwelling a Lallianzuala Chhangte cross from the left with a neat and highly effective left-footer to which Kuwait custodian Abdul Rahman Marzouq had no reply. 

India now journey to Bhubaneswar to play their subsequent match within the group towards mighty Qatar, undoubtedly the hardest aspect within the four-team contest. But Thursday’s victory was a exceptional one. Beating Kuwait in their very own yard was no imply achievement. Kuwait had been utterly rattled and upset. They had been left additional embarrassed throughout the add-on time when substitute Faisal Alharbi was given the marching orders by the Australian referee for choosing up his second yellow card, one thing the attacking midfielder might have simply prevented.       

The purpose made all of the distinction as India walked off the pitch with all three factors of their pocket, which might nicely turn into an important think about India’s endeavour to get into the subsequent spherical of the World Cup marketing campaign for the primary time in historical past.

India’s head coach Igor Stimac also needs to obtain a very good quantity of credit score for this three-pointer; his resolution to go away Chhangte out of the beginning eleven raised a number of eyebrows with out getting deep into his scheme of issues. Stimac waited until the sixty fourth minute earlier than he unleashed Chhangte towards an already harassed Kuwait defence and he did the trick that the Blue Tigers had been in search of. Chhangte’s recent legs did surprise; his cross from the left was a traditional one – it had the proper angle, the best top and all of the substances to go away the Kuwait defence stranded.

Only a number of months in the past, India and Kuwait battled it out onerous twice within the SAFF Championships in Bengaluru with India rising the victors in tie-breakers within the ultimate. Thursday’s win was maybe extra creditable. It got here on Kuwait’s dwelling turf and throughout the regulation interval by which India definitely had extra say within the proceedings. If India didn’t create sufficient optimistic possibilities regardless of having the higher hand, the hosts had been additionally in no place to take any credit score away from India as they may hardly penetrate the Indian defence. India’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had a slightly peaceable day within the workplace; the assaults he needed to negotiate with had been largely with out stings.    

India, then again, had been much more enterprising although they too did not open the Kuwait defence too many instances. Yet, within the first half, India had been doing the appropriate issues on the appropriate, with Nikhil Poojary and Manvir Singh being the chief operators. One such foray noticed Poojary floating the ball contained in the field in a copybook fashion. Skipper Sunil Chhetri took a volley that had the required punch, however not the path. It sailed over the bar. It was maybe the most effective probability India had within the match, aside from Manvir’s magical strike. 

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Nikhil Poojary; Suresh Singh Wangjam (Rohit Kumar, 96’), Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad; Mahesh Singh Naorem (Lallianzuala Chhangte, 64’), Sunil Chhetri (C), Manvir Singh.