The India national football team will host Afghanistan in the fourth match of their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers second round campaign at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
The Group A IND vs AFG match will start at 7:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Tuesday, March 26.
Under head coach Igor Stimac, the Blue Tigers will be desperate to bag maximum points after a disappointing performance against the same opposition in the away leg of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier at the Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia last week.
Currently placed 117th in the FIFA men’s rankings, India started their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign in emphatic fashion with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in November.
However, the Sunil Chhetri-led side later suffered a 0-3 defeat against two-time Asian champions Qatar at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Having registered one win, one draw and suffered one loss, India are placed second in the World Cup qualifiers Group A standings with four points.
On the other hand, the Afghanistan national football team will be high on confidence after securing their first point in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers despite missing several of their star players.
The Afghans earlier succumbed to heavy defeats in their previous two World Cup qualifying games. Placed 158th in the FIFA men’s rankings, they began their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers campaign with a 1-8 thrashing against Qatar before losing 0-4 to Kuwait.
With a solitary point from three games, Afghanistan are languishing at the bottom of the Group A standings.
Qatar are leading the Group A standings with nine points while Kuwait are placed third with three points.
As per the format, the top two teams from the group will qualify for the third qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be held in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. These teams will also earn a direct entry to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 to be held in Saudi Arabia.
India’s national football team squad vs Afghanistan
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Subhasish Bose, Anwar Ali, Amey Ranawade, Jay Gupta
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia Ralte, Imran Khan
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh
India vs Afghanistan football head-to-head
India have a commanding head-to-head record against Afghanistan in international football. The Blue Tigers have won seven of the 12 matches while Afghanistan have registered just a solitary victory. As many as four matches have ended in draws.
The last time these two sides met, India and Afghanistan played a goalless draw in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers at Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Where to watch India vs Afghanistan FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers live
The India vs Afghanistan FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers match will be telecast live on Sports18 1, Sports18 1HD and Sports18 3 TV channels.
Live streaming of the India vs Afghanistan FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers second round match will be available on the JioCinema app and website in India.
Photo credit: Alamy
