Indian football has had a difficult road, dealing with various historical, structural, and cultural problems.
Cricket culturally overtook football, gaining tremendous support as football struggled for attention and financing. Many excellent young athletes come from economically poor families and have limited access to good training. To date, football receives less media coverage than cricket, limiting its popularity and capacity even to get sponsors.
Despite these challenges, there have been several attempts to turn things around. Back in 2018, Indian Football Captain Sunil Chhetri emotionally appealed to fans to fill the stadiums and support the home team in the Intercontinental Cup held that year. The Indian team was backed by millions.
The team recently bid farewell to the God of Indian Football Sunil Chhetri and the post-Chhetri era isn’t turning good for them.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier between Qatar and India at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on June 11 was a thrilling ride for fans on both sides. India, desperate for a win to keep their qualification hopes alive, had their fans excited with an early lead.
But, as if by some inexplicable football mystery, Qatar turned the game around in the second half, scoring twice to win 2-1. The thrilling encounter, which included several eyebrow-raising moments, left Indian fans feeling as if they had just witnessed a plot twist in a suspense thriller, triggering a flood of sarcastic and outraged tweets.
A contentious goal awarded to Qatar added fuel to the fire. Outraged Indian fans swarmed Twitter with footage and analysis, claiming the goal was fraudulent. The referee and FIFA officials were heavily criticised, with allegations of bad officiating levelled against them.
Here’s What Happened
After Lallianzuala Chhangte put India ahead in the 37th minute, Qatar, the Asian Champions, fell behind for the first time in the competition at halftime. The Blue Tigers, however, suffered a setback in the second half. Yousef Aymen of Qatar scored a disputed equaliser in the 73rd minute. The ball had deflected off India’s goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and certainly went out for a corner. However, Al-Hashmi returned it from outside the line, allowing Aymen to score, causing uproar among Indian fans.
Surprisingly, and to the Indian players’ dismay, referee Kim Woo-Sung, after consulting with linesman Kang Dong Ho, ruled the goal valid. This decision derailed India’s strong defence and sparked controversy.
Complaint Filed by AIFF President
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President, Kalyan Chaubey, announced that the organisation has officially complained to FIFA and AFC Heads about a serious refereeing blunder in India’s FIFA World Cup Qualifier versus Qatar on June 1 in Doha. According to Chaubey, the AIFF has written to FIFA’s head of Qualifiers, AFC’s head of referees, and AFC’s head of competition about Qatar’s questionable equaliser against India, which resulted in a 2-1 defeat for the Blue Tigers. Kuwait defeated Afghanistan 1-0 in another match in India’s Group A, ending India’s prospects of going to Round 3.
“Victory and defeat are a part and parcel of the game, we have learnt to accept it gracefully, although one of the two goals scored against India yesterday night left a few questions unanswered. We have written to FIFA head of qualifiers, AFC head of referees, AFC head of competitions, and the match commissioner, regarding a grave supervision error that practically cost us a place in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers round 3,” President Kalyan Chaubey said in his official statement.
He further added, “We call upon the concerned officials for a thorough investigation. We have urged them to explore the possibilities of sporting compensation to address the injustice, and we trust that FIFA and the AFC will take necessary steps in this regard”
Despite the controversy, Indian footballers now see a ray of positivity and believe in their team’s power. Fans have also caught on to the team’s confidence, rallying behind them with renewed belief!
