Akhil Rawat
AIFF Media Team
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT: One down, five more matches to go! India began their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for FIFA World Cup 2026 & AFC Asian Cup campaign with crucial three points against Kuwait. Points that came in the form of their first Pre-World Cup victory away from home in more than two decades.
The Blue Tigers have played two fiercely contested matches against the same opponents in the SAFF Championship earlier this year, both ending in draws after regulation time, as the former went on to be crowned champions after defeating Kuwait on penalties in the final. While the World Cup Qualifier on Thursday, November 16 was not as heated an affair as the previous two encounters, it was a tightly contested battle.
India head coach Igor Stimac, however, is not surprised, “We’re not surprised with the result, but we always respect the opponents. I’m very confident about our team and our capacities. We came here to win the game. I have full trust in my boys. They’ve worked really hard in the last four and a half years.”
