India began their Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup campaign with crucial three points against Kuwait. Beginning with a victory in the World Cup qualifiers, especially away from home happened for the first time in more than two decades. 

The man of the moment was forward Manvir Singh, who swooped into the vacuum left at the top of the Kuwait box by a retreating Sunil Chhetri, as he connected perfectly with a Lallianzuala Chhangte cross to smash the winner home. “I’m really happy that I got the goal against Kuwait, but I must thank my teammates for it. It’s all because of everyone’s hard work,” said Manvir. 

He added, “I am lucky to score in a big match like this. I am really looking forward to score more in the coming matches.” 

India centre-back Sandesh Jhingan believes the importance of the occasion (a World Cup Qualifier) made the difference for the Blue Tigers. He said, “The weight of the tournament makes a difference. We gave a good account of ourselves in Thailand (King’s Cup). The Malaysia game (Merdeka Tournament) was, we can say, one off day after a long time." 

Jhingan explained, "Of course, we were disappointed to lose there, but those games are to learn lessons. The whole point of friendly matches is to learn from them to prepare for big games like these,” he said. 

He added, “It was very important to start on a winning note. I’m really proud of the team and of how we stepped up to the occasion. Kuwait are always a difficult side, and more so when you’re playing away. We put on a strong and mature performance, but we cannot celebrate too much, get carried away, or think too big of ourselves,” said Jhingan.

“We have another game in a few days, so it’s all about recovery. We just have to keep going. It’s just the first game. Let’s keep getting better, dreaming big, and make the work bigger than your team,” said Jhingan.