Team India’s dream of qualifying for the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the first time was demolished as Qatar defeated them 2-1. However, it was the controversial decision regarding the home team’s first goal in the 73rd minute that made headlines. Indian fans were left shocked as the ball appeared to have gone out of play after Gurpreet had saved a header from Aymen.
Despite this, the whistle did not come, and Al Hassan pulled the ball back into play and passed it to Aymen, who put it into the net. Despite several replays, the referee stuck to his decision. The Indian players protested, but after consulting his assistant, the referee allowed the goal to stand. There was no VAR in this FIFA World Cup Qualifier game, leading many to believe that the Blue Tigers were victims of poor refereeing.
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After the match, India head coach Igor Stimac shared his reaction in an exclusive chat with RevSportz’s Editor-in-Chief Boria Majumdar.
“I think it’s a shame to be eliminated in such a way after playing such good football, controlling the game, and dominating Qatar, which is very talented. But many people forget that we are not much older than them. Our boys are young also. So we proved that India has a bright future, that we are now a different team which can play 3-4, 3-4-3-4-2, 3-1 and can adapt to anything that awaits us on the pitch. But we also need people who will protect the game. FIFA needs to address these issues. I’m not blaming FIFA, but I’m saying that in the future these things should not happen. To be eliminated in such a way when we had everything in our hands is painful,” Igor Stimac concluded.
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