India vs Afghanistan: Hosts lose 1-2 in FIFA World Cup qualifier

India's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered a blow as they lost 1-2 to Afghanistan in a qualifier match played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday.

India started the match brightly and took the lead in the 12th minute through a Sunil Chhetri penalty. However, Afghanistan fought back and equalized in the 25th minute through Farshad Noor. The visitors then took the lead in the 35th minute through Zubayr Amiri.

India tried to find an equalizer in the second half but could not break down the Afghan defense. The result leaves India with just one point from their first two matches in the qualifiers, while Afghanistan now have four points from their two games.

India will next face Hong Kong in their third qualifier match on June 8, while Afghanistan will take on Cambodia.

Conclusion

India's loss to Afghanistan is a major setback for their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team will need to improve their performance in their remaining matches if they want to have any chance of reaching the tournament.