FIFA friendlies: In four ties, Blue Tigers concede 16 goals, score just two

The positive vibes surrounding the Indian football team a month ago — when they held Panama to a creditable draw and gave a reasonably good account of themselves against Brazil — now seem a distant memory. Khalid Jamil’s men capitulated to a 5-0 defeat against New Zealand in the first of two international friendlies in chilly Auckland on Thursday, inviting probing questions and a barrage of trolls from disgruntled fans.

The All Whites, as the New Zealand national team are nicknamed, were the fourth 2026 FIFA World Cup-bound side the Blue Tigers had faced across two FIFA international windows. The aggregate scoreline from their last four matches against Panama, Brazil, Uruguay and New Zealand — all ranked comfortably above India — makes for grim reading: two goals scored and 16 conceded. That, however, is hardly surprising.

If Khalid’s men had at least shown flashes of promise in the three home fixtures, despite their lowly FIFA ranking of 138, they cut a particularly sorry figure against the physicality and technical ability of the New Zealanders. Vishal Kaith, who was handed an opportunity in goal after Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was dropped following a series of erratic performances, was arguably India’s best player. He managed to restrict the damage to five goals and saved a second-half penalty.

The only redeeming aspect of this two-match tour of New Zealand is perhaps that, unlike the considerable financial burden the AIFF took on by hosting Brazil and Uruguay, the ongoing visit is part of a cultural exchange programme between the Indian and New Zealand governments.

However, outgoing New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley’s men had little room for niceties. India now face an uphill task to regroup within two days ahead of Sunday's second fixture in Christchurch, where the weather is expected to be even colder.

"Many mistakes were there. We made a lot of substitutions, tried everyone, but they were not up to the mark," Khalid said after the match. He added: "Maybe they didn't believe in themselves. The players have to know that they have to capitalise on the chances they get."

In what was the Blue Tigers’ first-ever match on New Zealand soil, Jesse Randall scored twice, while Chris Wood and Lachlan Bayliss also found the net. An own goal by Indian defender Bijoy Varghese as early as the fifth minute set the tone for a difficult evening for the visitors. Leading India out as captain for the first time since 2018, Anirudh Thapa sought to anchor the side as the hosts pressed from the outset.

The 28-year-old had initially halted Randall’s run down the left, but New Zealand took the lead in the fifth minute following a scramble inside the box. With India trailing 0-3 at half-time, head coach Khalid made five changes at the break, bringing on Jay Gupta, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Mehtab Singh, Ricky Meetei Haobam and Muhammad Suhail. The latter two made their international debuts.

Liston Colaço tested New Zealand goalkeeper Alex Paulsen with a free-kick early in the second half, but the All Whites remained firmly in control of the contest, adding two more goals after the break.