India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup qualifier match row: Referee error cost us historic win, says Kalyan Chaubey

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions during the crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier match between India and Qatar. Chaubey told ANI, that a significant error by the referee cost India a historic opportunity to advance to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time.

"It was a wrong decision made by the referee, and India was forced to face defeat because of that decision," Chaubey stated. He underscored the gravity of the error, explaining, "India was on the verge of scripting history. There has been a huge mistake in the refereeing. We all saw that the ball was out of the goal line. Why couldn't the referee or the side referee (linesman) see it? It is something that needs to be investigated."

Chaubey revealed that the AIFF has already taken steps to address the issue, including filing complaints with the chief referee, FIFA's head of qualifiers, the AFC head of referees, the AFC head of competition, and the match commissioner under the IFAB. "We are hopeful of getting justice," Chaubey said.


He lamented the absence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the match, noting, "It is unfortunate for us that the VAR system was not there. I was told that from the third round onwards, the VAR system is available. We could have easily challenged this decision yesterday, had there been VAR."

Chaubey concluded by expressing his hope for a positive outcome, stating, "We are hopeful of getting feedback, and if we get sporting compensation according to the law, it should be discussed as to what we will get."

The incident has sparked significant discussion and debate among fans and officials.