Three things Khalid Jamil needs to fix to keep India alive in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

The Blue Tigers are yet to register a win in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

India secured a lucky escape in Singapore against the hosts in their third AFC Asian Cup qualifying fixture. Rahim Ali came off the bench to inspire the Blue Tigers to walk away with a point from a game that could have ended on a disappointing note for India.

The newly appointed head coach, Khalid Jamil, believes that India deserved a goal and a point from the game, but the harsh reality is that the Indians were not up to the mark. Barring that moment of blunder from the opposition goalkeeper, India had no substantial goal-scoring opportunity.

The game against Singapore was a clear reflection of the choppy waters that the Blue Tigers find themselves in. With only two points and uninspiring gameplay, India stare at the scary possibility of being knocked out of the qualification race for the AFC Asian Cup.

In this article, we will look at three things that Khalid Jamil should fix for the remaining qualifying fixtures to keep India alive in the race to the continental tournament.

Attack is the best form of defense

Khalid Jamil believes in a compact style of play. Defensive solidity is his USP, and throughout his career, he has relied on this USP, leading teams with resource crunch to glory. We saw that in the recently concluded CAFA Nations Cup 2025 as well, where India gave a tough time to higher-ranked and quality opponents like Oman and Tajikistan, winning against the odds.

However, while playing against teams that are at par or not as good as India in terms of quality, we have not seen impressive performances. The Blue Tigers struggled to break the deadlock against Afghanistan, and something similar happened against Singapore.

While defensive solidity and keeping compact are essential, no team can win a game without scoring goals. Khalid Jamil should shed the excessive caution and allow his players to express themselves and encourage them to play with a positive intent. The Blue Tigers cannot win laurels with an ultra-conservative approach.

Also Read: Sunil Chhetri shares his thoughts on India’s qualification chances for AFC Asian Cup 2027

Picking right personnel

The squad selection and eventually the starting lineup that Khalid picked raised a lot of questions. His choice of players for the occasion made the fans and pundits scratch their heads. Playing Farukh Choudhary up front alongside Sunil Chhetri led India to play with a frontline that had no preseason. The lack of sharpness was evident in their gameplay.

Not putting Sahal Abdul Samad in the starting lineup tied India’s hands in terms of creativity. The moment Sahal was introduced into the game in the second half, there was a major shift in how India played. The Blue Tigers were more incisive moving forward when Sahal was on the pitch.

Slotting Rahul Bheke in the right back position was another decision that backfired. Throughout the game, Bheke struggled to keep up with the opposition attackers. The experienced defender had nothing to offer moving forward. For India to stay alive, Khalid will have to make prudent changes in the starting lineup in the home fixture against Singapore.

Trust youngsters

Khalid Jamil has said in the past that whoever helps him in making India a winning unit will have a spot in the team. He brought Sunil back into the team, citing the same reason, and rightly so.

However, there are some discrepancies in the vision and execution. Jamil has been reluctant to try out young faces, which was also evident in the game against Singapore.

After impressing in the CAFA Nations Cup as a right back, Valpuia was not given a place in the starting lineup. Bheke, who struggled in that position in the CAFA Nations Cup, was trusted instead.

Another important exclusion was of Muhammed Suhail. The U23 star has been making waves with his jaw-dropping skills. Jamil requires players like Suhail, who are confident in taking on the opponents and have adequate skills to do so.

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