The Indian national football team will lock horns with Kuwait in the first match of their World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round campaign at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. The Group A KUW vs IND match will start at 10:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on Thursday, November 16.
Led by the talismanic Sunil Chhetri, India will be hoping to make a good start to their qualifying campaign in their bid to secure one of the top two spots in their group.
Finishing among the top two spots in their group won’t just secure direct qualification to the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers third round but also guarantees them a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Apart from Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan are the other two teams that are a part of Group A with India.
Ranked 102 in the FIFA rankings at the moment, India will fancy their chances against 136th-ranked Kuwait.
India though head into this clash on the back of successive losses and will be eager to set things right under the guidance of head coach Igor Stimac.
The Blue Tigers have announced a strong 28-man squad although they will be without the likes of Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh, both of whom have been an integral part of the team in recent times.
Kuwait, on the other hand, will most probably be led by experienced defender Fahad Al Hajeri while their Portuguese head coach Rui Bento will look to marshall his troops from the dugout in front of their buoyant home support.
India’s national football team squad against Kuwait
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins, Apuia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul KP, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh
India vs Kuwait head-to-head record football
India and Kuwait have squared off five times in the past with the former winning once and the latter emerging triumphant twice. Two matches ended in draws.
The last time these two sides met was in the 2023 SAFF Championship in a game that the Blue Tigers won 5-4 on penalties after the match had ended all square at 1-1.
Where to watch Kuwait vs India, World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round match live in India?
Live streaming of the Kuwait vs India, World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round match will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Live telecast of the Kuwait vs India, World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round match will be available on the Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.
Photo credit: Alamy
