How did India fare in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers?

India played only two games in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers!

The treacherous journey to potential qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins for India later this month. The Blue Tigers are all set to kickstart the Second Round of the qualifiers, facing Kuwait and Qatar in their first two group games.

The Indian football team has not participated in a single World Cup edition in history. They actually qualified for the 1950 edition, but were unable to play in it. Since then, India have partaken in a number of World Cup qualification rounds. This includes playing in the qualifiers for every single World Cup that has taken place in the 21st century.

Who did India face in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers?

India took part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in an attempt to play in the tournament held in Brazil. As per the rules, only four teams from the AFC division were able to qualify for the World Cup in 2014. The Blue Tigers’ journey in the qualification started from the second round in the AFC section of qualifiers.

As per the rules, in the second round, 30 teams from the AFC division were pitted against each other in a two-legged, knockout game. The top-five ranked AFC teams in the FIFA World Rankings were given a bye in the second round and went directly to the third round. The winners of the second round matches would be able to qualify for the third round, where the teams would be placed in groups of four.

India were placed in Pot 2 of the seeding of teams ahead of the draw. They were ranked as the 27th-best AFC team in the World Rankings at that point and were placed in Pot 2 as a result. Unfortunately for the Blue Tigers, they got drawn to face Asian heavyweights United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their two-legged tie in the second round.

How did India’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers go?

The games were scheduled to take place in July 2011. UAE got home advantage for the first leg, hosting India at Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium in Al Ain. The Blue Tigers were undergoing certain issues at the managerial level during that period. Bob Houghton had resigned after a five-year stint as manager just before the qualifiers and Armando Colaco took over the team just sometime before the highly important games.

UAE started the first leg in blistering fashion and were able to put the Indian side in the backfoot from the get-go. They capitalized on poor defensive mistakes from the Indian side and took a 2-0 lead within the first 30 minutes, thanks to penalties from Hamdan Mohammed Al-Kamali and Mohamed Al-Shehhi.

The Blue Tigers were rattled in the first half and tried their best to at least go away with an away goal if not any positive result. They started being braver in attack but also grew exhausted as the match progressed. UAE put the game under wraps with Ismail Al Hammadi scoring an 81st-minute goal to give his team a huge advantage before the second leg.

Just under a week after that battering, India hosted UAE at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. They had little to lose, hence the Blue Tigers at least tried their best to take the fight to the UAE side. However, the visitors refused to give up any room and Al-Shehhi was again on the scoresheet just before half-time.

UAE put the tie to bed with a goal from Mohammed Al-Wehaibi in the 72nd minute, taking an unassailable 5-0 lead (aggregate). To their credit, the Indian players decided to show some fight for their supporters and fought their way to at least get a respectable result in the end.

Minutes after UAE’s second goal, Jeje Lalpekhlua pulled one back with an impressive strike. The Blue Tigers found some life with that goal and decided to give a real go towards the end. In the 92nd minute, defender Gouramangi Singh scored a goal to make it 2-2 and ensure that India at least went away with a draw, even though their 2014 World Cup qualification dreams were shattered.

Fortunately for the Indian side, the qualification system has changed since then. Now, the Second Round will see them play six games in Group A, against Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan, respectively. Finishing in the top two will be enough to move onto the third round, something which Igor Stimac’s side will be desperate to ensure.

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