Vikram Pratap Singh handed maiden start for India; Anwar Ali returns to the starting lineup against Afghanistan | FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

With the carrot of a maiden appearance in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers dangling in front of them, the Indian men's senior football team will take the field against Afghanistan in Abha on Friday, starting at 12.30 am IST.

Despite Afghanistan having a weakened unit at their disposal, head coach Igor Stimac has opted for his best available starting lineup. The headlines will be dedicated to Vikram Pratap Singh, who will be leading the line for the Blue Tigers, with veteran Sunil Chhetri tucking behind him.

In the absence of Sahal Abdul Samad, who has been ruled out with an injury, the 39-year-old will be expected to play a more creative role. Manvir Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte have been deployed on either flank, with Apuia and returning Jeakson Singh forming the double pivot in the midfield.

The backline, with Sandesh Jhingan sidelined, presented an interesting dilemma. However, Stimac went for Anwar Ali and Rahul Bheke. Ali returned to football a few weeks back after a lengthy spell away on the sidelines.

The full-back options have been highly debated in the past but Akash Mishra and Nikhil Poojary still have the faith of the gaffer. While this could've been an opportunity to give Vishal Kaith a shot between the posts, Stimac as he discussed earlier, opted for his numero uno instead. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will be hoping to walk away with a clean sheet away from home.

Meanwhile, for the Lions of Khorasan, Taufee Skandari will be leading the attacking line, while wily customer Jabar Sharza will operate behind the target man. Wide players Omid Popalzay and Masawer Ahadi will keep the Indian full-backs busy for the night. Churchill Brothers midfielder Sharif Mukhammad will orchestrate the Afghan midfield.

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Afghanistan vs India: Starting lineups for FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier clash

Afghanistan: Ovays Azizi, Zelfy Nazary, Mahboob Hanifi, Zohib Islam Amiri, Habibulla Askar, Mosawer Ahadi, Rahmat Akbari, Sharif Mukhammad, Omid Popalzay, Jabar Sharza, and Taufee Skandari.

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Apuia, Jeakson Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Pratap Singh, and Manvir Singh.