2018 World Cup Qualifiers: Tired and under-prepared India faces stern Oman test
India have traveled to Muscat to face Oman in their fifth 2018 World Cup Qualifier fixture. Mathematically, the Blue Tigers are still in contention for a place in football's grandest event, realistically though, the best they can hope for is a fourth placed finish in Group D.
India are currently at the bottom of the table in Group D, having lost all four of their matches so far. In their last game, held last week, Stephen Constantine's men lost 2-1 to Turkmenistan. Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan produced admirable performances on the night, but they couldn't bring an end to India's search for an elusive first point.
The team will now face Oman, who are ranked 102 in the FIFA rankings. The two sides faced each other back in June at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, in the first leg of the Qualifiers that India lost 1-2. Sunil Chettri canceled out Qasim Said's early opener, but Amad Al-Hosni scored the winner from a penalty for the visitors.
Oman have an old hand in Paul Le Guen at their helm. The former French international has managed clubs like Lyon, Rangers, PSG, and also guided the Cameroon national team to the FIFA 2010 World Cup. With him in charge, The Reds are favorites to qualify from Group D, along with Iran.
Ali Al-Habsi, Oman's captain has the experience of playing in the English Premier League, where he won the FA in 2013 with Wigan Athletic.
In terms of quality, India's squad won't be a match for Oman, at least on paper. Moreover, India's preparation for this round of World Cup Qualifier matches haven't been up to the mark. Initially the ISL clubs refused to release the players in advance of their match against Turkmenistan, and the team didn't have too much time to gel together.
The national team had an agreement with Oman FA to hold four training sessions ahead of their clash tomorrow. But a 26-hour delay in flights has put a big dent in their plans. The India side, which was scheduled to leave Turkmenistan on October 9, got delayed due to bad weather and eventually arrived at the Seeb International Airport on October 11.
“We have already lost two precious days something which we can’t afford to do at the moment. We had planned for four training sessions in Muscat for which we had an understanding with the Oman FA. But now we have to be content with a couple. It’s been a long wait. Finally, we are here,” Indian coach, Constantine was quoted as saying on the official AIFF Facebook page.
India still has hopes of finishing fourth in the group, which will provide them with a chance to advance through to the third round of Asian Cup Qualification. A point against Oman, away from home, will be a good result for the team, but they also hope that Guam helps them in their quest and defeats Turkmenistan tomorrow.
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