DOHA: India, despite dominating, settled for a goalless draw with Afghanistan last week in Saudi Arabia. Both the teams will be engaged in the reverse fixture in Guwahati today.
“We should have won with the chances we created, we tried different combinations and players but it just did not work. This is a problem that has been following us for years,” said Stimac.
It won’t be easy against an Afghanistan side who desperately need to win to keep their hopes alive, with the draw against India delivering their first point of the campaign.
Qatar hope to maintain winning run against Kuwait
Qatar head coach Marquez Lopez said his side is ready for tonight’s joint Asia qualifiers for 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup finals match against Kuwait.
Akram Afif was Qatar’s star in their 3-0 defeat of Kuwait in Thursday’s game and the two-time AFC Asian Cup champions will be hoping for more of the same in the reverse Group A fixture.
Thursday’s victory means a win over Kuwait will confirm Qatar’s spot in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and also book their spot in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 with two matches to spare.
“Kuwait played with a good defensive strategy but we showed our best in the second half and converted our chances. However, Tuesday’s match will be difficult as Kuwait will try to make up for this loss,” Lopez had said after Thursday’s tie.
