The Indian football team is on the cusp of making it to the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as they gear up to meet their Asian neighbours Afghanistan on Friday (March 22) at the Damac Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
A win against Afghanistan will give three points to India and take the Blue Tigers an inch closer to the third round of the ongoing Qualifiers. Notably, India have never made it to the third round of the Qualifiers since their first-ever appearance in the Qualifiers in 1985.
The Blue Tigers are coming into this contest on the back of an utterly disappointing AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 campaign. India crashed out of the tournament from the group stage itself after losing to Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in Group B.
However, there is a reason to rejoice for the Indian football fans as star midfielder Jeakson Singh Thounaojam is set to make his comeback for the national side in the fixture against Afghanistan.
Jeakson suffered a shoulder injury during an Indian Super League outing between Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC in October last year which kept him out of action until February.
The 22-year-old has joined the Blue Tigers in Abha and "feels great to be back after a long and hard time".
"It feels great to be back after a long and hard time. I'm happy to be with the team again. I'm looking forward to the upcoming two games now," Jeakson told the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
"The training is going fantastic. Everybody is happy and working hard in every session. We are ready for this fight," Jeakson added.
India wield an impressive record against Afghanistan. The two teams have met each other 11 times, with India winning on seven occasions and conceding a solitary game.
Where to watch the India vs Afghanistan 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match on TV?
The India vs Afghanistan 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match will be broadcast live on DD Sports.
Where to watch the live streaming of the India vs Afghanistan 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match?
The India vs Afghanistan 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match will be streamed live on FanCode. The match will kick-start at 12:30 am IST (Friday).
