India beaten 1-6 by Uruguay at Salt Lake Stadium; Jamil urges full 90-minute focus
India suffered a 1-6 defeat to Uruguay at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 6, 2026, ending their three-match FIFA international friendly window. Head coach Khalid Jamil said the heavy scoreline was largely the result of lapses in concentration and told his players they must remain alert for the full 90 minutes.
Jamil repeatedly highlighted the need for sustained focus across India’s fixtures against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay. Much like in the earlier friendlies, India produced periods of positive play, attempting to press high and attack against a team considerably higher in the FIFA rankings. Those encouraging spells were offset by defensive mistakes that Uruguay punished.
“The key thing is that one mistake in a good game can be punished,” Jamil said, stressing the importance of maintaining sharpness throughout the match. He argued that individual errors proved decisive despite phases when India competed well. The coach framed concentration as a collective responsibility affecting the team’s defensive stability.
“We were okay in the first 30 minutes. After that, maybe it was fitness, maybe concentration, the lack of which contributed to the loss. That is why we have to be more alert because we conceded more goals around the 60th and 70th minutes,” Jamil analysed. India’s competitiveness in the opening half-hour did not prevent a collapse in the second half, according to the coach’s assessment. He singled out the timing of the goals conceded as a symptom of the team’s drop in intensity.
Jamil also emphasised preparation and shared accountability in his post-match remarks. “Your preparation has to be good, and your concentration has to remain strong both before and during the game. There can be no distractions. At this level, even if you play a good game, one mistake can be punished,” he said. The coach linked match preparation directly to the team’s ability to avoid critical errors.
Uruguay interim coach Diego Forlan said his side recovered after India’s positive start and then asserted control as the game progressed. “Our transition and our passing was a little bit slow at the start, so India could profit from that. Then, we tried to fix it, and as the game progressed, we controlled the pressing really well,” the former Uruguay star forward now working as the team’s interim coach said about his side’s performance. Forlan attributed the scoreline to Uruguay’s adjustment after the early phase.
With a New Zealand test scheduled for November, Jamil indicated the next priority is to build a team that is more disciplined, resilient and consistently alert for the full 90 minutes.
