What are India's Chances Of Qualification To Third Round Of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers After Loss To Afghanistan In Guwahati?

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Indian football team found itself in serious trouble on Tuesday night (March 26) with a shocking 1-2 loss to a second-string Afghanistan in their latest second-round match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati on Tuesday (March 26).

Drawn with Arab sides Qatar and Kuwait in Group A, a lower-ranked Afghanistan should have been the easiest opponent for the Blue Tigers to collect all six points over the two legs in the last five days.

That in turn would have smoothened their way to qualify for the third round and make history. However, those chances look drifting away from Igor Stimac and his side. Saying that, the national team still have a chance to progress.

Following the latest defeat, they are now sitting in second place in their ground table with four points. Afghanistan are in third place with the same points but are behind on goal difference.

The positions of the teams might change if Kuwait somehow managed to get a win against Qatar in a few hours. If not, the table will remain the same. Indian fans will now pray for a big-margin defeat for Kuwait against the Asian Champions, who defeated fellow Arabs 3-0 in the first leg in Doha.

Irrespective of that game, India will still need to get at least four points from their remaining two matches. Their next two matches are against Kuwait at home and Qatar on the road. Considering how the Blue Tigers played against Afghanistan in both matches, they have very little chance of winning against a superior team, Kuwait let alone the powerful Qatar team.

If India win both matches, they will be able to qualify comfortably for the third round with 10 points in second place. However, that's considering Afghanistan don't win their remaining two matches against Kuwait and Qatar by a seven or more goal difference, which seems unlikely.

However, the not-so-comfortable way would be to at least earn four points from these two matches. In that case, India will qualify from the in second place in the group with eight points. Hence, India's fate may be decided against Kuwait on June 6.