India could only salvage a draw against Bangladesh, who are 83 places behind them in the FIFA ranking table.
The Indians’ hopes were soaring high as they thought that the Blue Tigers would get their first win in three matches at the Mecca of Indian Football. But the performances of the Blue Tigers have let them down. Bangladesh almost defeated India. Thanks to the late 88 min equaliser from Adil Khan that India did not lose the match embarrassingly.
Bangladesh coach Jamie Day described his side’s 1-1 draw against India in their Group E World Cup qualifying match at a packed Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata: “India really weren’t a threat today against Bangladesh.”
India lost to Oman 1-2 in their opening match before holding Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw in their previous match. They now have two points from three matches, while Bangladesh stay at the bottom with one point from three games.
The top team from Group E will qualify for the next round and the second-ranked team will have to go through the playoffs. As things stand right now, Qatar are well placed to qualify for the next round. While Oman will go through to the playoffs as the second-ranked team.
India’s chances of qualifying to the next round are almost nil, to be honest. They haven’t managed a single win from three matches which leaves them with 2 points after 3 matches. While group leaders Qatar have 10 points and Oman have 6 points.
The realistic hope for India is to ensure a hassle-free entry into the Asian Cup. If they manage that, it will be for the first time in decades that they will compete in back-to-back continental championship. For that, they will have to get maximum points against the two teams ranked lower than them in the group, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
After Igor Stimac was appointed as the head coach of the Indian national football team, the Indians were hopeful of a positive turnaround. But things didn’t go according to the plan as India face elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The only positive things from these matches were the performances of the youngsters like Sahal and Thapa. They are the future of Indian football, which looks bright as of now.
The detailed match report of the India vs Bangladesh 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier match is here.
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