Sunil Chhetri's record, Afghanistan's fightback and other talking points from India vs Afghanistan game in FIFA WC Qualifiers

Sunil Chhetri netted his 94th international goal for India in the Afghanistan game.

India had another forgetful trip to the gateway of NorthEast India, Guwahati as they lost their second consecutive game at the venue (previous one against Oman) despite scoring first in both the games. Sunil Chhetri opened the scoring for India in the 38th minute and gave them a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half.

But, then Afghanistan turned up the ante in the second half and scored two goals in quick succession to win the game in the most iconic fashion. Rahmat Akbari scored the equalizer in the 70th minute before Sharif Mukhammad scored the winning goal for the away side from the spot.

5. Afghanistan fightback from behind

Afghanistan went all out and warned India about their intentions to play an attack-minded game. Ashley Westwood’s men came out all guns blazing and gave India a tough time on the pitch despite conceding the first goal. They showed their resilience and fighting spirit and came back from 0-1 down to 2-1 up to get all three points in this game.

4. Afghanistan – the better team yet again

The away side were certainly the better side in the game. They played as if it was their home game and not India’s. The Lions of Khorasan brought their A-game to the table and handed India a disastrous win away from home. They silenced the entire stadium with their equalizer and winning goal within a span of just 18 minutes. 

3. Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to play 150 international games

India’s captain Sunil Chhetri made it to the record books by becoming the first Indian to play 150 international games for the country. Chhetri made his debut for India in June 2005 and played his 150th game in March 2024. He has surpassed all the expectations and has created an unmatched legacy of his own.

2. Chhetri scores his 94th international goal for India

It was Sunil Chhetri’s first goal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers for India. It was also his first international goal of the calendar year having failed in four previous attempts. Interestingly, Chhetri has scored in his 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, 125th and now in his 150th outing for India.

1. Sunil Chhetri scores his fourth FIFA World Cup Qualifiers goal in Guwahati

Chhetri brought an end to India’s goalless run of five matches with a goal from the spot. The Indian skipper loves playing in Guwahati as four out of his 10 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers goals have come in the City of temples. He scored a brace against Nepal in 2015 before scoring against Oman in 2019 and has now scored his fourth goal five years later in 2024.

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