India vs Afghanistan: India secure a direct spot in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers after the game ended in a 1-1 draw

India remains third in the group and keeps its hopes alive for the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers. After Oman's 2-1 win over Afghanistan on Friday, India just needed to avoid defeat and they just did that. India vs Afghanistan was a very crucial fixture for the men in blue as their futures depend upon it.

An own goal from Ovays Azizi, India went up 1-0 in the 75th minute. But, Afghanistan pulled things right back after Hossein Zaman scored the equaliser in the 82nd minute of the game.

The blue tigers deed pretty good in holding off in a draw as Afghanistan were looking pretty dangerous. Although this was not how they wanted the game to end, a 3rd place finish in the group will overshadow all this. Sunil Chhetri was taken off in the 69th minute and the goal-scoring opportunities became narrower.

The coach might face some criticism because of the choice of the lineup and how they played against a 149th ranked team. India vs Afghanistan will not be a game to cherish for the men in blue because they played way too average football. However, looking at the brighter side of it India has a serious chance of proving its worth in 2023.