India vs Kuwait FIFA World Cup Qualifier Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible Lineups and Fantasy XI Prediction

The Blue Tigers are all set to face Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifier match on 6th June Thursday at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The captain and legend of the Indian Football Team, Sunil Chhetri will feature for the last time in International football as he announced his retirement last month. India are second in the Group A points table with 4 points while Kuwait are at the bottom with 3 points from 4 games. A victory is very crucial for both sides so it is going to be an epic clash at Kolkata.

The Indian fans will hope to see their side win not just for them but for Sunil Chhetri. From possible starting XIs to Fantasy predictions, here is everything you need to know about the India vs Kuwait match in the World Cup Qualifiers.

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Match Details

• Match: India vs Kuwait - World Cup Qualifiers

• Date: 6/6/2024

• Time: 7:00 pm

• Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata

How to watch the India vs Kuwait World Cup Qualifiers match?

The Live streaming of the match between India and Kuwait will be on Jio Cinema. The IND vs KUW football match will also be telecast live on the Sports 18 1, Sports 18 1 HD, and Sports 18 3 TV channels in India.

India vs Kuwait: Head-to-Head stats

India have a 3-2 advantage in the head-to-head football record against Kuwait in six matches. One has ended in a draw. Kuwait's last victory against India came in 2010.

• Matches Played: 6
• India won: 3
• Kuwait won: 2
• Draw: 1

Team News

Mehtab Singh left the squad for personal reasons but has rejoined them. Kuwait also have a fully fit 26-man squad for their trip to the Salt Lake Stadium.

India:

Sunil Chhetri will feature in his final match in a Blue Tigers shirt against Kuwait. It will be his 151st appearance for India. Chhetri will be determined to go out on a high. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is set to start in goal for India. Poojary will most likely start at the right as he provides much-needed speed and energy. Poojary’s defensive duties highlight his value as a defensive asset. With Sandesh Jhingan out of the squad, Anwar Ali comes. His distribution and clean tackles will be essential for India.

Rising to the challenge! 🔥🇮🇳#ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/DDbbPSROXu

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 4, 2024

Jay Gupta had a very good season for the Gaurs. He is very good defensively but gives equal effort in attack. Subhasish Bose will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of Jhingan. He is an experienced defender and can lead the backline. Alongside Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh is expected to take back his place in the midfield. The box-to-box midfielder, Anirudh Thapa will have to drop a good performance against Kuwait.

Defending the 🔵 crest with every stride! 🇮🇳#ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/pa2RDoaE2G

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 5, 2024

Brandon Fernandes was sensational for the Gaurs in the ISL 2023-24 season. He continued to work his magic with FC Goa and scored some stunners. His passing and long-range shots can cause problems for Kuwait on Thursday. Lallianzuala Chhangte is an important player for Igor and he also had a superb ISL season. East Bengal winger Naorem Mahesh will be also there with Chhangte to help the skipper in the front.

Brandon Fernandes keen to showcase his experience in the crucial tie against Kuwait #ThankYouSC11 #FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 4, 2024

"I'm trying hard not to think about the game emotionally. It's not about me. I would love to win 1-0, I don't care who scores. The last 15 days have been good. I think we're on the same page regarding fitness and that's a good headache for the coach to have," said Chhetri in the pre-match press conference.

Igor Stimac is under immense pressure to deliver India’s first win in 2024. The Blue Tigers had a poor AFC Asian Cup campaign and they also failed to defeat Afghanistan in their last two qualifiers games. The Blue Tigers can’t afford to lose any more if they want to get past the second round of qualifying and keep their 2026 World Cup dreams alive. A win can bring confidence back into the squad and help them gain some much-needed momentum. Another draw or loss will mount more pressure on Stimac’s job.

"We had three tight, tough games against Kuwait. Either team could've won them. I would say our best game was away in Kuwait in these qualifiers because that was perfect defensive shape, not allowing them to get near our box and create clear chances. That's what we need to repeat tomorrow, with our discipline, focus, tight marking, reaching the opposition goal, and scoring the goal because that's what we need."

"The boys have worked tremendously hard on details and everything that is needed for this game. We're going to be ready for each scenario that awaits us," Igor Stimac said in the pre-match press conference.

Read Also: India gets two spots in AFC Champions League 2 2024/25

Kuwait:

The Kuwait team got less time to prepare for the match which is a disadvantage for their side when they take on the Indian team. But Kuwait’s coach was quite confident about his players. 

"We played three games against India last year. They were all very balanced and the teams were at a similar level. But all those matches are history. Football is always an ongoing process, and we are proud and confident of ourselves. We are more prepared now to face India and expect ourselves to be better than before and win the game," said Rui Bento in the pre-match press conference.

"Kuwait in the past has been into the final stage of the World Cup. It was a good achievement for football in Asia. But you know, football is always a challenging sport and the amount of competition that has risen in the last few years is also commendable," Bento added.

Possible Starting Lineups:

India:

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Nikhil Poojary, Subhasish Bose, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta; Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa; Naorem Mahesh Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte; Sunil Chhetri

Kuwait:

Sulaiman Abdulghafour (GK); Rashed Al-Dosary, Khalid El Ebrahim, Hassan Al-Enezi, Salman Bormeya; Eid Al-Rasheedi; Hamad Al-Harbi, Faisal Zayed, Azbi Shehab, Mohammad Daham; Yousef Nasser

India vs Kuwait: Fantasy XI Prediction