FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Irked fans demand Stimac's sacking after India's goalless draw against Afghanistan

In a Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, India and Afghanistan battled to a goalless draw as both teams struggled to convert their opportunities into goals. The match, held on Thursday night, witnessed an intense first half with India's Manvir Singh coming close to scoring twice, while the hosts also had their fair share of chances.

Despite the end-to-end contest, neither side managed to break the deadlock. As a result of the draw, India now sits in the second position in Group A with four points from three matches, followed closely by Kuwait with three points from the same number of games.

Both teams understood the importance of securing a victory, knowing it could significantly benefit their standings. India currently occupies the second position in Group A, edging three points ahead of Kuwait, who suffered a 0-3 loss to Qatar earlier in the night. Afghanistan, after a draw and two losses, finds themselves in fourth place within the group.

The early stages of the match witnessed a spirited midfield confrontation, marked by frequent lunging tackles at the Damac Stadium. Afghanistan aimed to leverage their speed and physical strength to establish control, while India remained focused on implementing a passing-oriented style of play.

Vikram Partap Singh, who earned his senior national team debut in January, secured a spot in the starting XI for the first time, proving to be a constant nuisance for the Afghanistan defense.

Throughout the match, the versatile forward alternated between the center and wing positions, frequently exchanging roles with Manvir Singh, causing confusion among the Afghanistan ranks.

Despite both India and Afghanistan adopting an open style of play, the first half witnessed a flurry of attacking moves. However, neither team's strikers managed to capitalize in the final third, leading to visible frustration from coaches Igor Stimac and Ashley Westwood on the touchline as they yelled instructions.

India initiated the offensive right from the start, putting pressure on the Afghanistan defense and creating some tense moments. In the 17th minute, had Manvir capitalized on a clear opportunity, India could have secured an early lead in the away leg of the second round of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup preliminary joint qualification match.

As the match progressed, the Indian midfield gradually asserted control. Lallianzuala Chhangte, operating on the left flank, delivered a well-placed cross to find an unmarked Manvir. However, the latter, having shifted inside from the right, failed to find the target with his shot.

Despite India's dominance, Afghanistan remained dangerous on the counter-attack. Mosawer Ahadi seized an opportunity down the right flank, cutting in to unleash a left-footed curler. However, India's goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu confidently collected the ball, ensuring the scoreline remained level.

In the first half, Manvir had multiple opportunities to find the back of the net. A corner delivered by Chhangte and a well-whipped cross from fullback Nikhil Poojary presented excellent chances for the Indian forward. However, Manvir failed to convert either chance, leaving India frustrated as the first half concluded.

As the second half unfolded, it was Vikram Pratap's turn to miss a couple of scoring opportunities. While on the first occasion, the ball was just out of reach by a yard, the 22-year-old managed to evade his marker on the second chance. However, he found himself in a difficult position with a narrow angle, making it challenging to take a shot at the goal.

Just minutes before the hour mark, Vikram found himself unmarked in the six-yard box and connected with a header from a cross delivered by Akash Mishra. However, despite the promising opportunity, his effort narrowly missed the target.

Vikram's night took a downturn as he received a booking for a mistimed tackle, prompting head coach Stimac to substitute him with Brandon Fernandes.

As Afghanistan continued to rely on counter-attacks, they came close to scoring their best chance in the 62nd minute. Rahmat Akbari delivered a low cross into the Indian box, finding Omid Popalzay, but Rahul Bheke's timely intervention denied the Afghanistan midfielder a clear scoring opportunity.

With just fifteen minutes remaining on the clock, Stimac made his final substitutions, introducing Liston Colaco, Mahesh Naorem, and Deepak Tangri into the fray. Colaco, in particular, found success down the right flank, consistently delivering crosses into the box, although the Afghanistan defense managed to handle them well.

Subhasish Bose, who had earlier replaced Mishra, joined the list of Indian players who had opportunities for a free header inside the Afghanistan box. However, his attempt from a Colaco corner narrowly missed the target.

As the match entered injury time, Colaco orchestrated one final chance, blazing down the right wing. His low cross missed the outstretched leg of captain Sunil Chhetri but fell to Mahesh's feet. Despite attempting to deceive his marker to create space for a shot, Mahesh was quickly dispossessed before he could unleash an effort on goal.

India and Afghanistan will now move to Guwahati for their next showdown on March 26th, marking their second encounter in the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup.

Here's a look at how fans reacted to India, Afghanistan goalless draw in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: