Top five best football matches between India and Kuwait

Sunil Chhetri will look to end his career by scoring in his last match against Kuwait.

The Blue Tigers will face Kuwait at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on June 6, the last match of Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri. Following the game against Kuwait, India will travel to take on Qatar on June 11 in their last game in Group A.

India are currently placed second in the group, with four points from four matches. The top two teams in the group will qualify for Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

The Blue Tigers have a pretty solid record against Kuwait over the last few decades. India have played Kuwait on six occasions in their history, in which the Blue Tigers have won twice, drawn twice and lost twice.

These encounters have showcased the competitive nature of their clashes and have set the stage for an intense battle in the upcoming World Cup Qualifier match. Here are the top five best football matches between India and Kuwait:

5. India 1-6 Kuwait (Asian Games) – 1978

This was a very disappointing campaign for the Indian football team where they lost most of their matches at the Asian Games and suffered some humiliating defeats. The Indian team lost to Malaysia, Kuwait, North Korea and Iraq.

The most humiliating defeat came when they lost 1-6 to Kuwait. Their only win came against Bangladesh where they won 3-0. In the whole tournament, the Indian team conceded 13 goals and scored only five.

4. Kuwait 2-3 India – International Friendly – 2004

India’s first win over the Kuwait football team came in an international friendly on 5 November 2004. The Indian team managed to produce an impressive fight to defeat the Blue Wave on their home turf, with goals coming from Tomba Singh (48th minute), Jerry Zirsanga (64th minute) and Abhishek Yadav (75th minute). Even though the Blue Tigers conceded two goals it was an impressive performance away from home.

3. India 1-9 Kuwait – International Friendly – 2010

India’s preparations for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup suffered a major setback with a 1-9 international friendly defeat at the hands of Kuwait.

The Blue Wave were leading 3-0 at half-time, but after that they added six more goals to humiliate the Blue Tigers. Somehow, the Indian team were able to score a consolation goal, but this was one of the most humiliating defeats for the Indian team in their history.

2. India 1-0 Kuwait World Cup Qualifiers 2026

The Blue Tigers started their World Cup Qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Kuwait and it was their first win on away soil in over two decades.

The winning goal was scored by Manvir Singh in the 75th minute. Overall, the Indian team performed well and they didn’t let the home team dominate them. Defensively, the Blue Tigers were compact and rigid, which made things difficult for the hosts.

Kuwait ended the match with 10 men as Faisal Alharbi was sent off after a high boot challenge on Lallianzuala Chhangte.

1). India 1 (5)-(4) 1 Kuwait – SAFF Final

The Indian football team emerged victorious 5-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout against Kuwait, securing the SAFF Championship 2023 title at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

India, serving as the hosts, remained undefeated throughout the SAFF Championship 2023. They defeated Pakistan and Nepal, while drawing against Kuwait in the group phase. In the semi-finals, they overcame Lebanon in a penalty shootout and replicated the same feat against Kuwait in a nail-biting final.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.