Football

The Indian men's football team's winless streak extended to four matches as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Malaysia in an international friendly on Monday. The match, played at the Balayogi Stadium, marked the debut of Chennaiyin FC's Irfan Yedwad for India.Despite dominating possession in the early stages, India conceded the first goal in the 19th minute due to a howler from goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Paulo Josue capitalized on Sandhu's error to put Malaysia ahead. However, India equalized in the 39th minute through a header from Rahul Bheke, assisted by Brandon Fernandes.The second half saw India continue to press for the winning goal, but the Malaysian defense held firm. Both teams had chances to snatch the victory, but neither could find the decisive touch.The draw extended head coach Manolo Marquez's wait for his first victory with the Blue Tigers. India has now drawn three and lost one of their four matches under Marquez.Despite the disappointing result, Marquez gave opportunities to several players who have been performing well for their clubs this season. The match also marked the return of central defender Sandesh Jhingan after almost 10 months.

India's national football team, the Blue Tigers, have appointed goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu as their captain for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Qatar. The match, scheduled for Tuesday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, is a must-win for India to keep their hopes of reaching the third round of qualifiers alive.Sandhu, with 71 caps, is the most experienced and longest-serving player in the national team after the retirement of Sunil Chhetri. Head coach Igor Stimac stated that the decision to hand the captaincy to Sandhu was a natural choice, given his leadership qualities and experience.India's squad for the match includes 23 players, with defenders Amey Ranawade, Lalchungnunga, and Subhasish Bose not traveling to Qatar. Ranawade and Lalchungnunga were released to focus on their development, while Bose was granted leave for personal reasons.Qatar, who have already qualified for the third round as group toppers, have named a young squad for the match, with 21 players under the age of 24. Despite their dominance in their previous match against Afghanistan, Qatar failed to score, highlighting India's defensive resilience.Stimac emphasized the importance of attacking transitions in the upcoming match, as India aims to create and convert scoring opportunities. The Blue Tigers will have their first practice session in Doha on Sunday evening, followed by an official training session at the match venue on Monday.A win for India would put them in a strong position to qualify for the World Cup qualifiers third round and secure a direct spot at the 2027 Asian Cup. However, a loss would eliminate them from the qualifiers, and they would have to compete in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers third round for a place at the tournament in Saudi Arabia.If India draws against Qatar, they will qualify for the third round only if the match between Kuwait and Afghanistan, which will kick off two hours later, also ends in a draw. In that scenario, India would finish second in the group with six points, the same as Afghanistan, but with a better goal difference.