Qatar Sinks India's Blue Colts 2-1 In AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

Last Updated:September 07, 2025, 08:41 IST

India U23 lost 1-2 to Qatar in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers as goals from Al Hashmi Mohialdin and Jassem Al Sharshani sealed victory at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.

India's Blue Colts in action against Qatar (AIFF Media)

India’s U23 side suffered their first defeat of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, going down 1-2 to hosts Qatar in their second Group H match at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on Saturday.

Qatar struck early through Al Hashmi Mohialdin (18’), but Muhammed Suhail (52’) restored parity for the Blue Colts soon after the restart.

The turning point came in the 67th minute when Pramveer conceded a penalty and was sent off, allowing Jassem Al Sharshani to score from the spot and secure victory for the hosts.

India Battle Back But Falter

Fresh from their 2-0 win over Bahrain, India began brightly. Suhail went close in the second minute with a strike from distance, while goalkeeper Sahil produced a sharp save to deny Mohamed Surag on 16 minutes.

The breakthrough came for Qatar shortly after, Mohialdin’s looping header from a corner evading the Indian defense and finding the top corner.

Despite the setback, India grew into the game. Parthib Gogoi and Mohammed Sannan created chances from wide areas, though Qatar’s goalkeeper Ali Mohammed Ghulais remained alert.

India’s persistence paid off in the 52nd minute. Macarton Louis Nickson won possession in midfield and released Suhail. After a recycled cross from Sannan, Suhail rose at the far post to head home the equaliser.

Just as momentum shifted, disaster struck. Pramveer’s foul on Noureldin Ibrahim handed Qatar a penalty and reduced India to 10 men. Al Sharshani calmly converted, restoring Qatar’s lead.

Qatar sought a third, but Sahil denied Abdulaziz Hasan with an acrobatic save. India nearly snatched a point deep into stoppage time, but Aimen’s corner narrowly missed the unmarked Shivaldo at the back post.

The result leaves Qatar top of Group H with six points from two games. India, level on three points with Bahrain, sit second on head-to-head advantage, while Brunei remains bottom.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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News sports Qatar Sinks India's Blue Colts 2-1 In AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

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