Are things as bad as they seemed with the Indian football team or can India head for their crucial FIFA World Cup Qualifier games in June with the form and confidence they displayed last summer?
On a disappointing night for ASEAN football in the Asian qualifiers, Indonesia would issue a big statement.
Craig Goodwin was on fire in Tuesday's 5-0 win over Lebanon, a match that underscored why Socceroos' style of play under Graham Arnold is such a double-edged sword.
All of Stimac's bravado ahead of both the games against Afghanistan reduced to a goalless draw and a deserved loss.
Iraq and Australia booked their third round berths while South Korea returned to form after their draw last week.
A 2-1 loss to Afghanistan dealt a massive blow to India's hopes of qualifying for the third round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Craig Goodwin scored a brace on his return from illness as Australia booked their place in the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying with a 5-0 rout of Lebanon at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday.
India took the lead from a Chhetri penalty but Afghanistan scored twice in the 2nd half to clinch victory.
Patrick Yazbek is in line for an emotional Socceroos debut against his heritage nation on Tuesday night, with Lebanon's coach questioning his decision not to represent them.
India will look to bounce back from the goalless draw against Afghanistan with a win in Guwahati as Chhetri and co. attempt to end goalscoring drought.
From teams desperately needing a win to those on the verge of advancing, here are five things to look out for on match day 4 of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.
The start of the Tsutomu Ogura era was brought cautious optimism for Singapore -- but that could grow into more if they can deny China again on Tuesday.
It's now been 532 minutes since India last scored a goal in international football. That's nearly nine hours of goalless football spread across four months.
Ajdin Hrustić's reintroduction to the Socceroos undoubtedly wasn't of the sort he or Graham Arnold envisioned, but the 27-year-old's return contained many flashes of what makes him such a valuable piece of the puzzle as World Cup qualification continues.
South Korea dropped points in a draw against Thailand but still maintained their Group C lead after China failed to capitalize.
India spurned plenty of chances as they were held to a goalless draw by Afghanistan, but climbed to second in the Group A standings of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
For the team and its followers, the possibility of qualifying for FIFA's 2026 World Cup carries a message about existence and belonging.
India travel to the high altitudes of Abha, Saudi Arabia to face Afghanistan in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with plenty at stake.
After a four-month hiatus, the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup returns this week -- and there's plenty to keep a close eye on.
The time for rationalizing bad results (like the AFC Asian Cup) is over: now, it's time for Igor Stimac's India to deliver as favourites against a second-string Afghanistan.
After repeatedly being overlooked, Joo Min-Kyu looks set to finally get his chance to show what he can offer South Korea on the international stage.
Graham Arnold has recalled striker Adam Taggart and creative midfielder Ajdin Hrustic for the Socceroos' crunch World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon this month.
Socceroos star Martin Boyle is in a "stable condition" in hospital after suffering a head injury in Hibernian's Scottish Cup quarterfinal defeat by Rangers on Sunday.
Philippine football is embarking on a new chapter with a new coach at the helm in Tom Saintfiet and the hunt for a fresh identity.
| Group A | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +14 | 12 |
| India | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 4 |
| Afghanistan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -10 | 4 |
| Kuwait | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Group B | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Japan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +14 | 12 |
| Syria | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
| North Korea | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Myanmar | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -17 | 1 |
| Group C | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| South Korea | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +11 | 10 |
| China | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 |
| Thailand | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 |
| Singapore | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -10 | 1 |
| Group D | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| Oman | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| Malaysia | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 6 |
| Chinese Taipei | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -10 | 0 |
| Group E | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Iran | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +10 | 10 |
| Uzbekistan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +7 | 10 |
| Turkmenistan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -8 | 1 |
| Hong Kong | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -9 | 1 |
| Group F | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Iraq | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +11 | 12 |
| Indonesia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Vietnam | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 3 |
| Philippines | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -8 | 1 |
| Group G | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +7 | 10 |
| Jordan | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +8 | 7 |
| Tajikistan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +4 | 5 |
| Pakistan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -19 | 0 |
| Group H | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +10 | 12 |
| Bahrain | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +8 | 9 |
| Yemen | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 3 |
| Nepal | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -14 | 0 |
| Group I | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Australia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +15 | 12 |
| Palestine | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
| Lebanon | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -7 | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -13 | 1 |
