“We have respectfully requested thorough investigation” – AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey on Qatar’s controversial goal

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has revealed that they respectfully requested a thorough investigation of Qatar’s controversial goal against India in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Qatar won by 2-1 but their equalizer hogged all the limelight as India was robbed.

The Blue Tigers took a lead as Lallianzuala Chhangte scored in the opening half. However, Qatar equalized in a controversial manner as Youssef Aymen and Ahmed Al-Rawi combined to score for the hosts. On replays, it was clear that the ball had crossed the end-line after going through Indian captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s legs. But, the linesman and the main referee adjudged it in Qatar’s favor, which was shocking.

As there is no VAR in the qualifiers, India was robbed in daylight and it was disappointing for all the fans. With this loss, India was knocked of the World Cup qualifiers and their dream of making to the third round for the first time, was also squashed.

Kalyan Chaubey said in an official 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.

“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.”

Chaubey also had a word with the Chief Refereeing Officer after the match and decided to raise a complaint with the concerned authorities.

“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,” the statement added.

“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,” he concluded.