DESCRIPTION:
*     The second round of the 2026 World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers features 36 teams divided into nine groups of four.
*     Teams in each group will play each other in a home-away round-robin format.
*     Indian men football team will compete in Group-A against Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar.
*     The top teams from the group will qualify for the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and earn a direct entry in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia.
*     The Sunil Chhetri led-India is the second-best ranked team (102) in Group A, behind Qatar (61).
*     The Blue Tigers will play Qatar in a home match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on November 21 and will travel to Qatar for its away match on June 11.
*     It will play both of its matches against Afghanistan in March 2024.
*     India has remained unbeaten in all 11 matches played this year at home.

INDIAN MEN FOOTBALL TEAM: Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith. Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose. Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Peter Martins, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh Kumam. Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Sunil Chhetri (Captain), Vikram Partap Singh.

INDIA MATCHES (Second Round, Group-A):
16 November 2024 (10.00 PM): India vs Kuwait, Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City
21 November 2023 (7.00 PM): India vs Qatar, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
21 March 2024: India vs Afghanistan
26 March 2024: India vs Afghanistan
6 June 2024: India vs Kuwait
11 June 2024: India vs Qatar