World Cup Qualifiers: All eyes on Sunil Chhetri

India will look to give the legend a fitting farewell against Kuwait todayKOLKATA:

Sunil Chhetri

is getting Goosebumps. Not because he is going to bid farewell to international football here on Thursday. Not because a sold-out

Salt Lake Stadium

is set to elevate the collective consciousness around an individual as the curtain will close on an era.The 39-year-old of 150 international caps and 94 goals is rather excited and emotional more about the prospect of going out with a bigger prize - blending his last dance in

Blue Tigers

jersey with the conjuring of a magic in Indian football.As India host Kuwait in the second round of the

2026 World Cup qualifiers

in

Asian zone

here, the stakes they are facing are massive: A win will virtually take

Chhetri

& Co. to the next round and open up the opportunity of brushing shoulders with Asia's best in realizing the ultimate dream of reaching the global stage, apart from sealing a spot in the next edition of

Asian Cup

.

With Qatar having already been assured of finishing top in Group A, India and Afghanistan - on four points each - are fighting for the second place, a prerequisite to qualify from the group. India have a better goal difference (-3) in comparison to Afghanistan's (-10) while Kuwait have 3 points from 4 matches."This is a huge game because you know what's there in store and it's going to be magical also. If we win tomorrow, we'll qualify, though there are some permutations and combinations. There will be 10 top games against the best in Asia (in the third round), home and away. Just imagine playing against Japan and Australia in the third round. Just imagine what the whole euphoria will be and that is why a win is important," Chhetri told reporters on Wednesday, the eve of his final bow.

Former Croatian World Cupper

Igor Stimac

- feeling "more Indian than many in the country" - is equally excited about stepping onto the never-conquered territory, terming it the "biggest game" of his career."In the beginning I didn't want to get my emotions involved in my job but it has happened and it's something you can't stop. Honestly this is the biggest game altogether in my playing and coaching career and the simple reason is that when you have the chance to make one person happy, and you do that you are a happy man. We have the chance to make 1.5 billion Indians happy tomorrow," the India coach remarked sitting beside Chhetri.Emotions will certainly run wild in the stands but the onus is more on Chhetri's teammates to turn their captain's farewell into a path-breaking occasion for celebration.So, with the arclight set to focus predominantly on Chhetri and on how his teammates go about completing the mission, where do the visiting Kuwait stand in this hype and hoopla around this contest? They have their plans ready, looking to spoil the hosts' party."Chhetri had played in Portugal and we know that. We also know that India will try to make problems for us. We know that both teams have competitive targets and the same goal. Expect a good game tomorrow," Kuwait's Portuguese coach Rui Bento said.With their domestic season having been over last month, Kuwait held a one-week camp in Bangkok before travelling to Kolkata on Tuesday night. Bento named a 26-man squad composed entirely of players from the Kuwait Premier League.Kuwait is a known enemy for Stimac's side, who has beaten them 1-0 in the away fixture. But Stimac is also aware of how his team disintegrated against Afghanistan, especially in the home fixture this March.His team can't afford to have such a slip-up - to give their captain a perfect send-off and keep alive the dream of winning a bigger prize on a bigger stage.