FULL-TIME, Oman 1-0 India: Three points for the hosts as India’s winless streak continues with a second defeat of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. The second half belonged to the Blue Tigers but failed to create enough chances as Erwin Koeman’s side proved a tough nut to crack.
After 93 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Brandon finds Ashique, who makes his way into the box but is tackled by two Oman defenders.
After 90 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Six minutes of added time. India showing more urgency but as they stare at another defeat.
After 88 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Oman make their final change as Al Ghassani comes off for Abdulaziz.
After 85 mins, Oman 1-0 India: India continue to threaten but have not been able to test Al Habsi. Can they find a late equaliser here in Muscat?
After 81 mins, Oman 1-0 India: THAT WAS ALMOST GAME OVER! Oman break on the counter and Al Mandhar bursts forward before slipping the ball to his teammate Al Busaidi. However, Sandhu stands tall and palms the shot away.
After 77 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Oman make another change as Al Khaldi is replaced by Zahir Al Aghbari.
After 75 mins, Oman 1-0 India: India are seeing more of the ball but have struggled to break down the hosts who have so far held on to their lead.
After 70 mins, Oman 1-0 India: CHANCE! India commit bodies forward as Farukh fires a cross from the left which nearly falls to Manvir. The Blue Tigers have been knocking on the door but need to take their chances.
After 67 mins, Oman 1-0 India: SUBSTITUTION. Bheke is replaced by debutant Sarthak Golui.
After 62 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Anas concedes a cheap foul after bringing down Al Ghassani and India have conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position.
After 60 mins, Oman 1-0 India: SUBSTITUTION. Al Ghafri comes off for Arshad Al Alawi.
After 55 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Ashique dashes into Al Ghafri and goes down. Oman duo Harib Al Saadi and Al Ghassani are also receiving treatment.
After 50 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Another set-piece opportunity for India as Udanta draws a foul. Brandon fires a cross in the box but it is cleared away.
After 45 mins, Oman 1-0 India: Action resumes, can India find a way back?
HALF-TIME, Oman 1-0 India: An exciting first-half comes to an end as the home team head into the break with a slender 1-0 lead after Al Ghassani’s goal. India have had chances in a few moments but they’re left with an uphill task after losing Pranoy Halder and Adil Khan to injuries.
After 45 mins, Oman 1-0 India: ALMOST! Al Mandhar fires a cross down the left and feeds Al Ghassani, who dives full stretch but fails to make contact with the ball.
After 42 mins, Oman 1-0 India: The hosts have sat back and are allowing India to attack them, while looking to exploit the gaps in defense.
After 38 mins, Oman 1-0 India: India break on the counter down the left hand side. Farukh plays a cut back to Manvir but it is cleared away by the Oman defenders.
After 35 mins, Oman 1-0 India: SUBSTITUTION. Another forced change for Stimac as Anas Edathodika replaces Adil Khan, who comes off after pulling up his hamstring.
After 33 mins, Oman 1-0 India: GOOOOAALL! Oman take the lead in Muscat and Al Ghassani makes no mistake this time. He receives the ball in the Indian box after a defense-splitting pass and scores an easy tap in.
After 30 mins, Oman 0-0 India: Half an hour gone on the clock but it has been a tightly-fought contest so far.
After 27 mins, Oman 0-0 India: SUBSTITUTION. Igor Stimac doesn’t want to take a risk as he takes off Halder for Vinit Rai. The ATK midfielder was also seemed to be struggling after the knock he received early on.
After 23 mins, Oman 0-0 India: YELLOW CARD! Adil Khan and Pranoy Halder both go into the referee’s book after conceding cheap fouls.
After 19 mins, Oman 0-0 India: CHANCE! Brandon floats a cross to Chhetri inside the box. The India skipper receives the ball on his first touch, hoping to square it to Udanta but Al Habsi intercepts it.
After 19 mins, Oman 0-0 India: FOUL! Oman are lucky to be denied a yellow card after Udanta goes down outside the box.
After 14 mins, Oman 0-0 India: The tempo of the game has slowed down after that early penalty miss. Mubarak Al-Ghafri takes a shot from distance but fires it wide.
After 12 mins, Oman 0-0 India: The hosts have enjoyed most of the possession so far and are trying to attack more from the channels.
After 8 mins, Oman 0-0 India: PENALTY MISSED! Al Ghassani steps up to take the penalty and fires his shot over the bar. India get out of jail early on.
After 6 mins, Oman 0-0 India: OH DEAR, NOT AGAIN! India concede a soft penalty after Rahul Bheke brings down Muhsen Saleh Al Ghassani in the box.
After 2 mins, Oman 0-0 India: The physio makes his way to the field to attend Pranoy Halder who goes down after landing awkwardly on his arm. He was not 100 per cent fit yet.
8.30 pm: PEEP! We’re underway in Muscat.
8.28 pm: Oman are unbeaten at home in their last seven competitive international matches.
8.25 pm: Both teams are out on the field for the national anthem.
8.20 pm: Here’s the form guide for both teams and how they are placed in the Fifa rankings.
Form guide
Oman: W-L-W-W-L
India: D-D-D-L-D
Fifa ranking
Oman: 84
India: 106
8.15 pm: Sandesh Jhinghan, who is out injured with an ACL tear, has a message for Indian football fans.
8.10 pm: “We cannot sit back and play on the counter against Oman. We need to keep the ball, create chances and take them,” says Brandon Fernandes who has provided assists for all of India’s goals so far in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
8.05 pm: India coach Igor Stimac is not surprised that Qatar and Oman are the top two teams in group E. Here is what he had to say ahead of the game:
“We all knew that before the games started that Qatar and Oman were favourites to progress from the group.
“I joined the team in May with a clear plan of restructuring the game, stabilising the game, improving on certain points and making sure that India participates continuously in the final stages of the Asian Cup and hopefully preparing ourselves for the 2026 World Cup.”
7.55 pm: Here’s how the hosts Oman line-up in Muscat.
Starting XI: Ali Al Habsi (GK), Harib Al Saadi, Mohammed Al Musallami, Amran Said Al-Hidi, Saad Al Mukhaini, Ali Sulaiman Al-Busaidi, Ahmed Al Mahauri, Mohsin Al Khaldi, Al Mandhar Al Alawi, Mohammed Mubarak Al-Ghafri, Muhsein Saleh Al Ghassani
7.50 pm: The team sheets are out. Igor Stimac makes three changes from their previous game against Afghanistan with Mandar Rao Dessai, Pritam Kotal and Sahal Abdul Samad all on the bench. Nishu Kumar makes his first start under Igor Stimac.
7.30 pm: Hello all and welcome to our live coverage of Oman vs India as the Blue Tigers seek their first win of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign!
Having secured just three points from four games in an increasingly disappointing 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, the Indian football team will hope to pick up their first win when face Oman in a do-or-die clash in Muscat on Tuesday.
A first half strike from Sunil Chhetri gave India hopes of beating Oman in the first leg in Guwahati in September but it ultimately turned out to be so-near-yet-so-far as the Gulf nation struck twice in the final 10 minutes to outwit the home side.
Oman are coming into this match after an emphatic 4-1 win over Bangladesh at home on November 14.
India, on the other hand, are struggling after an impressive goalless draw against Asian champions Qatar as they needed late equalisers in their identical 1-1 draws against lower-ranked Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
After three draws and a defeat, India are fourth in the Group E table with three points while Oman are second with nine points from four matches. Qatar are on top with 10 points from four matches.
An upset win over Oman will certainly keep Igor Stimac’s side in the hunt for a next round berth but a loss will virtually send India out of reckoning as far as the 2022 World Cup qualification is concerned.
Both the teams have faced each other on eight occasions, with the Blue Tigers having won only match while losing on five occasions.