Team India will fight it out against Oman in a Qualifier fixture of 2022 FIFA World Cup, at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, on September 5.
The Blue Tigers will hope to bag a win after a disappointing outing in the Intercontinental Cup. On the other hand, Oman will be riding high on confidence as they have won the last four out of five fixtures played by the team.
Preview, Prediction and Schedule
The first fixture in the qualification round will be important for the Men in Blue as this will be their best chance to book a berth for the second round of the qualifiers.
With most of the players being given field time in the Kings Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, Indian coach Igor Stimac has been experimenting with his line-up.
Although all players are showing great potential and getting match time, the only victory for India in the last five matches came against Thailand in the Kings Cup.
Indian mid-fielder Amarjit Singh Kiyam. who has been impressive under Stimac's coaching, will be missed and it will be a huge blow for the Indian contingent as he has proved his worth in front of the defence.
However, Anas Edathodika might feature in the playing eleven with Sandesh Jhinghan in the defence. Ashique Kuruniyan might also return to the team and support Sunil Chhetri upfront.
This time around, the Indian contingent has a great chance of qualification as India's group comprises of much weaker Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Men in Blue will have high chances to qualify for the second round of World Cup qualification as the second-best team in the group if they manage to beat Oman.
On the other hand, Oman has been in superb form in their last five outings. In their last fixture, they defeated Yemen 1-0 and will be riding high on confidence.
Under head coach Erwin Koeman, the Reds went to Germany for a three-week conditioning camp which has benefited them a lot. They are definitely a much stronger side than the Men in Blue and will look forward to a winning start to their campaign. To score past experienced goalkeeper Faiz Al-Rushaidi will be a difficult task for the Blue Tigers.
Taking head-to-head and current form into account, Oman is definitely the favourite to win the match with ease. But the Men in Blue under Stimac's guidance have been conditioned well as he has been giving chances to every player so India can also produce an upset.
Moreover, with home fans support, the Indian team will be tough to beat. The match will probably go in favour of Oman and they might win 2-1.
The India-Oman match will start at 7.30 PM IST on September 5.
TV Listings, Live Streaming and where to watch in India
The match will be broadcast by the Star Group in India. The fans will be able to see the match live on Star Sports 3 and live streaming will be available on Hotstar.
