From Hope To Heartbreak: India’s Uruguay Outing Leaves Fans Searching For A Reason To Believe

Last Updated:October 07, 2026, 10:21 IST

Amidst all the questions India must answer, in goal and across the field, one thing remained clear at Salt Lake Stadium: the supporters haven’t stopped believing.

India did spark hopes with an equaliser in the 22nd minute. (PTI Photo)

One goal was all it took for the Salt Lake Stadium to regain its voice. After India failed to score a goal against five-time world champions Brazil and then conceding another via a 12th-minute Darwin Nunez penalty for Uruguay, a hush fell over the stands.

The crowd then reserved its cheers for India‘s promising attacking moves or moments of individual brilliance, as the early setback dampened the atmosphere in Kolkata for the international friendly.

Then came Mohun Bagan midfielder Anirudh Thapa’s 22nd-minute strike, which sent the entire stadium into a frenzy. The crowd came alive once again, with the cheers louder than ever.

The match was then halted for 34 minutes after the drinks break because of lightning and India struggled to regain their rhythm after the restart. Despite a few moments of individual brilliance, they couldn’t turn them into goals as Uruguay continued to find the back of the net to seal a 6-1 win.

The two matches against Brazil and Uruguay drew a combined crowd of more than 88,000, well below initial expectations, with patches of empty seats visible in the stands.

But many of those who turned up had arrived with renewed belief after India’s 1-1 draw against Panama last month.

“The way they played against Panama, it made people think that they would put up a great show against Brazil. Although that wasn’t to be, we are still proud of how the Indian team performed and that’s why I came to watch the match today,” a fan said while speaking to News18 Sports ahead of the Uruguay encounter.

“We have to win today’s game. That would help us better our rankings,” another group of fans had said ahead of the match. But all those hopes came crashing down.

Barely a minute after the restart, Maximiliano Araujo finished from close range in the 28th minute to put Uruguay ahead and India never managed to find their way back into the match.

Did India miss Vishal?

Just ahead of the match, fans noted Vishal Kaith’s absence from the team. He was injured when the team for the three FIFA friendlies was announced, according to reports, but two days after producing a superb performance in Mohun Bagan’s IFA Shield semi-final, his absence was felt even more.

“I have a question for the All India Football Federation. Why is Vishal Kaith not in the team?” a fan asked.

And on a night when Khalid Jamil’s first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was subjected to ‘Go Back Gurpreet’ chants, Kaith was remembered a little more.

Kaith, Bagan’s hero in the IFA Shield final last year, made two crucial saves against Punjab FC in the Shield semifinal on Sunday (October 5) as the Mariners won the contest 4-3 on penalties to enter the final of the 2026 edition.

So much so that local newspapers were effusive in their praise of Kaith, the same goalkeeper who had conceded four goals in the Durand Cup final against arch-rivals East Bengal and faced heavy trolling.

Five days later, Kaith was left out of the India team and the Bajpakhi (Hawk), as Bagan fans fondly call him, found himself back in the crosshairs.

Gurpreet has now conceded eight goals across three matches, seven of them coming in the last two. While he was substituted after the first half against Brazil, Jamil persisted with Gurpreet as long as possible before he was subbed off by Albino Gomes.

Gomes too conceded a goal – Uruguay’s sixth and final one in the 86th minute.

“I am not blaming anyone, but I made many mistakes. We have to rectify those mistakes. Yes, many mistakes. You can say both. But now this isn’t the right time to say anything,” Jamil said at the post-match press conference.

While the coach may accept responsibility and refrain from singling out any footballer, the discontent surrounding Gurpreet is growing. Social media has been flooded with trolls targeting the goalkeeper, with some going to the extent that he may have played his final international game.

All Fans Ask For Is a Reason to Believe Again

“We have to play better. We have to go ahead and not give up. If our players try a little more, we can win matches. We need to ensure that if we play Brazil again in the future, we put up a better show. We have to improve our Indian football,” a fan had prior to the start.

The evening though began with positive hopes which surged further thanks to Thapa’s goal but eventually turned into frustration.

Amidst all the questions India must answer, in goal and across the field, one thing remained clear at Salt Lake Stadium: the supporters haven’t stopped believing.

All they want is for the team to give them a reason to believe again.

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What was the final score of the international friendly match between India and Uruguay in Kolkata?

Uruguay defeated India with a score of 6-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium, with India’s lone goal scored by Anirudh Thapa in the 22nd minute.

Why did fans question the omission of goalkeeper Vishal Kaith from India’s squad against Uruguay?

Fans questioned Vishal Kaith’s exclusion after he delivered a superb performance and made two crucial saves for Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield semi-final.

How did India’s head coach Khalid Jamil respond after the heavy defeat against Uruguay?

Khalid Jamil accepted responsibility for the team’s mistakes during the post-match press conference, stating that it was not the right time to say much while acknowledging the need to rectify those errors.

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