The word ‘cheating’ has been trending on X for the past 12 hours or so. It is not often, Indian football makes news for something controversial. On Tuesday, Qatar, ranked 31st in FIFA ranking, had to cheat to topple an inspiring India, who emerged victorious, even though the final scoreline read 1-0.
Qatar’s equaliser against India in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
Controversial Decision in India vs Qatar Match Leaves Fans Outraged
Football fans are furious after a controversial decision allowed Qatar’s equaliser against India in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. The incident happened during the second half of the match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
The Controversy
In the 73rd minute, Abdullah Alahrak took a free-kick that led to Yousef Aymen attempting a header, which was saved by India’s goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. As Sandhu lay on the ground, thinking the ball had gone out of play, Hashmi Hussein kicked it back into play, allowing Aymen to score. Despite protests from the Indian team, the referee allowed the goal, causing widespread outrage.
A video of the incident is going viral on social media, with many fans expressing their anger. The controversial goal has sparked a debate about the quality of refereeing in important international matches.
Qatar’s Victory and India’s Disappointment
Qatar won the match 2-1, ending India’s hopes of reaching the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. With this loss, India also missed out on automatic qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
India initially took the lead with a goal from Lallianzuala Chhangte in the 37th minute. However, the controversial decision to allow Aymen’s goal disrupted India’s momentum. Qatar then scored their second goal through Ahmed Al-Rawi in the 85th minute. Many Indian fans took to Twitter to express their outrage, sharing videos and analyses that they claimed clearly showed the goal should not have counted.
Fans called it an open robbery for what Qatar did.
Poor referee decisions can unfairly affect the outcome of a match and ruin the spirit of fair play. In this particular game, Qatar’s behaviour was not in line with the true spirit of the sport. Their unsportsmanlike moves, which disappointed many fans who value fairness and sportsmanship in football. The game between India and Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers should be considered as a warning that the governing bodies need to address these issues to maintain the integrity of the game.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
