India vs Qatar, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Live: Abdel Aziz’s 33rd minute goal proved to be the difference as India lost to Asian champions and table-toppers Qatar in their Group E game in Doha. India were reduced to 10 men but they came up with a valiant defensive effort on Thursday.

FIFA WC Qualifiers: Big games coming up for India

Despite the defeat to Qatar, there are some positives to take for India from this game. They have two huge games coming up. A third-place finish in Group E will help them seal the spot in the final round of 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers. They take on Bangladesh on June and Afghanistan on June 15 in Doha. Can they take 6 points and give themselves a good chance?

Here’s how the Group E table looks at the moment (Courtesy: Screengrab from FIFA)

• Full-time: India lose 0-1 to table-toppers Qatar

That’s the final whistle in Doha. India won’t be too unhappy with their effort. It’s a defeat but it’s not a bad one. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Rahul Bheke was given the marching orders early, India showed some solidity at the back. Gurpreet Singh, making 9 saves, was on top of his game, denying Qatar who were coming up with multiple attacks. Igor Stimac seems to be happy with his boys’ performance, given they did not have the ideal buildup to the big Qatar game due to Covid-19 pandemic.