Sunil Chhetri denied a sweet farewell as Kuwait hold India to goalless draw

The talismanic Sunil Chhetri’s last international match ended in an anticlimax as a profligate India were held to a goalless draw by visiting Kuwait in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier here on Thursday.

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In a country deprived of major footballing success, it was not a fitting farewell for a man who had created an alternative universe for the spectators of the beautiful game in this part of the world. The result put India in an extremely difficult position to make it to the third round of the qualifiers. After the draw, India have collected five points and play Asian champions Qatar in their final match on June 11. Kuwait, who have four points, will face Afghanistan on the same day. The 39-year-old Chhetri ended his glorious 19year international career as the fourth most prolific scorer in international football with 94 goals, behind Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (128), Iran legend Ali Daei (108) and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi (106). It’s an astounding feat for a player from a country like India and FIFA had acknowledged Chhetri’s legendary status when he announced h