Premium'It had to be him' - Fans cheer as captain Sunil Chhetri scores 1st goal in his 150th appearance during IND vs AFG, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 clash
Sunil Chhetri has amassed an impressive tally of 150 international caps as of now, scoring a remarkable 94 goals currently.
Last Updated: 08.06 PM, Mar 26, 2024
Captain, leader, legend, icon - words are not enough to describe the man, Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri! The Indian football team captain has once again proved his worth in the crucial match against Afghanistan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Playing his 150th game for India, Chhetri rose to the occasion, converting a penalty into a goal during the first half of the match held in Guwahati on Tuesday (March 26).
This crucial goal has put Team India in the lead for now, much to the joy of fans who took to social media platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their admiration for the skipper's performance. Many stated that it had to be the skipper himself who could do what was needed - score the much-needed goal.
Sunil Chhetri:
Since his debut in 2005, Chhetri has amassed an impressive tally of 150 international caps as of now, scoring a remarkable 94 goals currently and leading the country to 11 trophies.
Indian coach Igor Stimac had expressed his hope that Chhetri could make this match even more special. "Being chosen to represent your country is a dream of millions of kids when they start kicking the ball, and to do it 150 times is possible only for the GOATs (greatest of all time)," said Stimac, according to PTI.
About the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026:
In the ongoing FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026, the Blue Tigers currently hold the second spot in the group, which includes Qatar, India, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. With four points from three games, India sits one point ahead of Kuwait, who have three points from as many matches.
To secure their fate in the qualifiers, India needs to garner at least four points more from their upcoming three matches – against Afghanistan (today), Kuwait (June 6), and Qatar (June 11).
The match against Afghanistan marks India's return to Guwahati after five years, following a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Oman in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup preliminary joint qualifiers.