What happened when the Indian football team last met Kuwait and Qatar?

The Indian men’s national team are once again in the spotlight, as they are gearing up to take on Kuwait and Qatar in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

After a training stint in Dubai lasting over a week, the Men in Blue travel to Kuwait City for a face-off against Kuwait on November 16. Following the game, they will return to Odisha to lock horns with Qatar on November 21.

India, who are placed in Group A, will also face Afghanistan during the next international break, with the top two teams from the group qualifying for Round 3. Unlike previous editions, the Blue Tigers are arguably the favorites to finish behind Qatar and qualify for the next round.

India’s historical record against Kuwait reflects a closely contested rivalry, with both teams securing two wins and one draw in the five encounters between them.

More recently, India faced Kuwait twice in the SAFF Championship in July and remained unbeaten. In the group stage, the Blue Tigers secured a 1-1 draw in front of a lively crowd in Bengaluru.

Despite the game being a tightly contested affair, Sunil Chhetri broke the deadlock just before half-time. Initially on course for a narrow 1-0 victory, the match took a dramatic turn in the 90th minute when India’s Rahim Ali and Kuwait’s Al Qallaf were both sent off for violent conduct.

The turn of events changed the game’s momentum, with Kuwait putting in a spirited effort to score a stoppage-time equalizer, ultimately resulting in a draw. India were unfortunate to come away with just a point, but on the balance of the game, Kuwait deserved a draw.

The two teams later faced off in the SAFF Championship finals, with the match once again ending in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.

In this instance, Kuwait took the lead, but India equalized through Lallianzula Chhangte following a well-worked move. The Blue Tigers, with the backing of the home support, won the game and the championship on a penalty shootout.

India, who have struggled on their travels in the recent past, will meet Kuwait away from home for the first time since 2004.

India’s recent encounter with Qatar

Qatar unquestionably pose the toughest challenge for India in this group and are widely anticipated to top the standings. Looking back at historical encounters, the Blue Tigers have crossed paths with Qatar three times, managing a draw once and experiencing defeat on two occasions.

Among these three matches, two unfolded during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Blue Tigers, under Igor Stimac’s guidance, secured a historic 0-0 draw in Doha back in 2019. Qatar were the dominant side, but India’s resolute defense and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s heroics meant that India were able to hold on to a memorable clean sheet.

In the subsequent game, Qatar defeated India by a scoreline of 1-0. Originally scheduled to be played in India, the match took place in Doha due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In this clash, Rahul Bheke was sent off in the 17th minute, reducing India to 10 men early in the game. Consequently, Qatar took the lead in the first half, but Gurpreet’s standout performance meant that they only conceded once.

India eventually finished the group stage in third place, with Qatar and Oman securing qualification to Round 3.

The Blue Tigers are undoubtedly a lot stronger team than the previous time they faced Qatar and will rely on their home record to secure a positive result against one of Asia’s best teams.