The last time India faced Qatar in their joint 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup qualifying round match, back in 2019, the world was a different place.
The Indian men’s football team managed to hold the much-fancied hosts to a goalless draw and then mere months later, the first case of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, first reported by officials in Wuhan City, China.
The first game of the qualifiers was against Oman, which India lost 2-1, and went onto draw both subsequent games against Bangladesh and Afghanistan 1-1.
The first of the reverse fixtures saw India going down 1-0 to Oman away, with home games remaining against Qatar and Afghanistan.
After many postponements and rearrangements of the remaining games, the Indian football team is slated to fly out to Qatar on May 19 to play out their last three group games. They will face Qatar (June 3), Bangladesh (June 7) and Afghanistan (June 15) at the centralised venue.
With just 3 points from five matches, India sit in fourth spot with Qatar on top with 13 points with Oman a point behind them in second.
Eight group winners and four best runners-up will progress to the continent’s 12-team final qualifying stage for the World Cup. India though, are still in contention for a spot in the 2023 Asian Cup to be held in China, with a third-place finish will help India get a direct berth in the third round of the qualifiers.
Ahead of the team’s departure, midfielder Anirudh Thapa confessed that the national team players have not been in practise for over two months. India played two international friendlies against Oman and Qatar earlier in March.
When asked at the press conference about the Indian team’s fitness worries and how head coach Igor Stimac may find it difficult to make his selections, he said: “It will be really difficult for the coach to pick the team. We have not played for nearly two months and it will be difficult for us (players) also".
“It (not playing for long) could be at the back of our minds, the concerns over injury, how will you react to a given situation, all these could be there," he added.
Thapa asserted that players are training hard in their rooms in isolation and keeping themselves in shape to the best of their abilities.
“We get fitness programmes everyday and we have been following them. So, we are fit and hoping to give our best. We were also told there could be matches coming up and to be mentally ready," Thapa said.
“World Cup qualifiers are big matches. We are representing the country and that is motivation enough to give our best," he added.
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