New Delhi: Following his team’s win over India in their FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match, Afghanistan footballer Rahmat Akbari said that the match was very crucial for them to stay in contention for a World Cup spot. He expressed hope that after this big win, his team will do well against Kuwait and Qatar.
The match began with a 0-1 scoreline, with Sunil Chhetri giving the Blue Tigers the lead through a penalty kick in the 38th minute. However, the joy was short-lived as Rahmat Akbari’s shot deflected off a defender to pass Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the 70th minute.
Following the match, speaking to ANI, midfielder Rahmat said, “India is a great team. We deserved that win. We came out of the second half just all out. This is basically a grand final for us to stay in the World Cup qualifiers, and we achieved that. The boys were great. They put in a great shift. We have got two more games to go so hopefully we get a good result against Kuwait and Qatar.
“The loss of three points in this match has left India with only four points from four matches in the four-team Round 2 group. Qatar leads the group with 9 points from three matches, while Afghanistan also has 4 points from as many matches.