India vs Afghanistan World Cup Qualifiers: Underdogs Afghans can still pose problems for Blue Tigers

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In this international break, India will face Afghanistan twice in their third World Cup qualifiers matches. They are sitting in third place in the group A table tied with three points with 2nd-placed Kuwait.

Hence, these two matches against Afghanistan are extremely important for the Blue Tigers. However, even though the Afghanistan team is missing several key players, the job will still not be easy for India.

The Lions of Khorasan are the underdogs going into both of these matches, but they have a few cards up their sleeves as well, starting with their coach Ashley Westwood.

Strength: Ashley Westwood and his familiarity with Indian football

Ashley Westwood had been living in India since 2013 to 2022, winning trophies and as a club manager. Hence, he knows about Indian football and some of the players well enough going into these two matches. Hence, even though he doesn't have the full squad strength, he can still cause a lot of problems for the Blue Tigers.

Weakness: Absence of several first-team players

Problems have been brewing since last year between several Afghanistan players and their federation. Around 18 players boycotted their last two World Cup qualifiers matches against Kuwait and Qatar. The current squad is also missing some major numbers of first-team players which has put Afghanistan more in a backfoot situation.

Opportunity: Lack of matches since November, last year

Adding to the lack of a large number of first-team players, Afghanistan also haven't played any international game since November last year when they faced Kuwait at home. India can take advantage of this opportunity of getting some quick goals against a much lesser experienced squad.

Threat: High altitude

The Blue Tigers’ first match against Afghanistan will be held in the Damac Stadium in Saudi Arabia. The stadium is located around 49.5-55.5 metres above the sea level. Coach Igor Stimac has planned accordingly to acclimatise Indian players and “adjust their biorhythm” with the high altitude and every problem that comes with it. However, it still won't be easy for the Blue Tigers.