AIFF urges FIFA to 'address the injustice' that struck India through controversial Qatar goal

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Kalyan Chaubey, has written to the FIFA Head of Qualifiers requesting a “thorough investigation” into Qatar’s controversial equaliser against India on Tuesday in Doha. India, needing a win to reach the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for the first time, led 1-0 until the 73rd minute when Yousef Aymen scored the equalizer. Aymen’s goal resulted from a pass made by pulling the ball back from outside the field of play behind the goal.

Also Read | 'Ridiculous': Daylight robbery of India in Qatar shocks Bachchan

Controversy engulfs India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match

The ball had already rolled out of play for a corner when Alhashmi Mohialdin pulled it back and passed it to Aymen, who then scored. Indian defenders protested the goal, but the referee and linesman, who missed the ball going out of play, refused to overturn their decision.

Chaubey also stated that he asked FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officials to “explore the possibilities of sporting compensation to address the injustice.”

Also Read | Euros 2024: Schedule, Tickets, Dates, Teams, Squad, how to watch & more

Full statement

“The defeat against Qatar in the FIFA 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 concluding match on Tuesday night was a huge disappointment for the entire Indian football fraternity. While victory and defeat are a part and parcel of the game, and we have learned to accept it gracefully, one of the two goals scored against India yesterday night left a few questions unanswered,” Chaubey said in a statement.

“We, at the All India Football Federation, always believed that the spirit of the game should be upheld, and the regulations be followed without raising doubts over it. While maintaining the same stand, we, after the game against Qatar, in consultation with our Chief Refereeing Officer, decided to write to the FIFA Head of Qualifiers, the AFC Head of Referees, the AFC Head of Competitions, and the Match Commissioner for the game, requesting them to look into the grave supervision error caused during the game that practically cost us a place in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 3.”

“Given it’s severity, we have respectfully requested all concerned officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Furthermore, we have urged them to explore the possibilities of sporting compensation to address the injustice. Ensuring the integrity of the game is paramount, we truly trust that the FIFA and the AFC will take necessary steps in this regard.”