DOHA: India scored by a personal goal by Afghanistan goalie since they finished their World Cup Qualifiers campaign with a 1-1 draw to reserve a berth in another qualifying round of the Asian Cup on Tuesday.
A howler from Afghanistan goalie Ovays Azizi given India a 1-0 lead in the 75th minute but Hossein Zamani equalised at the 81st second in a game marred by weak refereeing.
Both sides had played a 1-1 draw in the first leg game in Dushanbe at 2019.
It had been an open minded and fast-paced game using all the Afghans playing a physical game at a game strewn with fouls and referee Ali Reda neglecting to subject players.
The two sides were nearly equal in ball possession and India had 10 shots on goal according to seven in Afghanistan.
However, the Afghans dedicated 16 fouls according to by the Indians.
Three Afghan players have been shown yellow cards against among India.
With seven points in eight games, India finished third in Group E supporting toppers Qatar and Oman, and forward of Afghanistan (4th in class with six points in eight games ).
India beneath Igor Stimac finished the World Cup qualifying effort with a single win, four draws and 3 losses.
Apart from the triumph against Bangladesh in their previous game, the very first leg 0-0 draw from Asian champions Qatar in 2019 has been the highlight of this effort.
India dominated the first stage with captain Sunil Chhetri using a go in the opposition goal in the 10th minute off a pass in Glan Martins however his left-footed taken from a challenging angle was accumulated from the Afghan goalie.
The Afghans rose in confidence and have been the better side at the next portion of this first half and they had a couple of shots on goal but none gave some issues to Indian custodian Gurpreet Singh.
Five minutes before the breather, Ashique Kuruniyan had been about the transparent on the left border of the box but his low cross collapsed to hit Chhetri having an Afghan protector clearing it.
Chhetri, who’d scored twice from Bangladesh, couldn’t replicate that operation and he had been substituted at the 69th minute.
Midfield livewire Brandon Fernandes was replaced at the 62nd minute.
The Afghans appeared better in the next semester but India took the lead in the 75th minute.
Kuruniyan delivered a high cross from the left that Suresh Wangjam attempted to achieve for.
Afghan goalie Azizi climbed for that which should happen to be an effortless set but the ball fell his hands down and slid between his legs to the empty aim.
However, the delight of these Indians was short lived as Zamani curled ago Gurpreet following the Afghan striker won the ball by both Indian defenders that would have done much better.