GOAL takes a look at all the results India have had playing in Qatar...
The Indian national team has already travelled to Qatar to play their remaining 2022 World Cup qualifying games against Qatar, Bangladesh and Afghanistan respectively in the month of June.
Igor Stimac's side are scheduled to face hosts and group toppers Qatar on June 3 followed by Bangladesh on June 7 and finally Afghanistan in their last qualifying game on June 15.
Let us have a look at the results of the Indian team in Qatar over the years.
When did India first play in Qatar?
India first travelled to Qatar in 1994 to play in the Qatar Independence Cup. They played four matches and could only win one, losing the other three.
The squad was coached by Jiri Pesek of the Czech Republic and was led by V.P. Sathyan.
Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
14/9/1994 | Bangladesh |
4-2 (W) |
Doha, Qatar. |
18/9/1994 | Yemen |
2-0 (L) |
Doha, Qatar. |
21/9/1994 | Oman (Semi-final) | 4-1 (L) | Doha, Qatar. |
23/9/19946588* | Yemen (Third-Place) | 2-0 (L) | Doha, Qatar. |
1998 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
During their second trip, India played three matches of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar. They won against Philippines, drew against Sri Lanka and were defeated by the hosts.
Date | Team | Result |
21/9/1996 | Philippines | 2-0 (W) |
24/9/1996 | Sri Lanka | 1-1 (D) |
27/9/1996 | Qatar | 6-0 (L) |
AFC Asian Cup 2011
Under Bob Houghton, India went to play the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in 2011 for the third time in their history. It was a disappointing campaign as India lost all their three matches of the group stage by a heavy margin.
Date | Team | Result | Venue |
10/1/2011 | Australia | 4-0 (L) | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium |
14/1/2011 | Bahrain | 5-2 (L) | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium |
18/1/2011 | South Korea | 4-1 (L) | Al Gharafa Stadium |
2022 World Cup Qualifiers
Under Igor Stimac, India achieved possibly their best international result when they held Qatar to a 0-0 draw in September 2019.
Date | Team | Result | Venue |
10/9/2019 | Qatar | 0-0 (D) | Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium |
2012 (Unofficial friendly)
In 2012, India played an unofficial friendly match in Qatar against the hosts at the Jassim Bin Hamad stadium and won 2-1. Sunil Chhetri opened the scoring from the spot in the 16th minute and Sushil Kumar Singh scored the second. The solitary goal for Qatar was scored by Mohammed Razak.
Date | Team | Result |
17/7/2012 | Qatar | 2-1 (W) |
To sum up India have played 11 games in Qatar so far, and have won three of them. They have drawn twice and have lost six times. It remains to be seen whether the team can improve their record and pick up some wins this time around.