After going down 1-4 against Lebanon in the away leg on October 9, the Indians would be waiting to make amends at the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiying round here on Sunday.

Chennai will play host to the first World Cup qualifier,  when the two teams meet at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium under floodlights, to qualify for the next global edition in South Africa in 2010.

Lebanon had defeated India 4-1 at Beirut,after trailing 0-1 at half time. However, home conditions may favour the Indians, led by aggressive captain Baichung Bhutia.

But the rain Gods may have the final say, as the city has been witnessing sharp rains for the past two days. With more rains forecast, all eyes will be on the skies.

“We cannot say anything right now and the referee will only decide on the possibility of the match at around 6.30 pm tomorrow,” sai C R Visswanathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Football Association.

While Lebanon is ranked 138 in the FIFA international rankings, Bhutia and his men are not far away, at 145. But the loss at Beirut may give the former an upper hand tomorrow. A 3-0 win could keep the hopes alive for the Indians, who are now carrying the hopes of a nation after their 1-0 defeat of Syria in the ONGC-Nehru Cup in Delhi in August.

Coach Bob Houghton will also be waiting to see the boys fire on all cylinders. He is in the process of lifting the team to high levels, though the task ahead is pretty difficult.

The team will be under pressure to perform after  squandering a winning opportunity against Lebanon earlier this month.

The defenders will be closely watched as they carry the onerous responsibility of stopping the Lebanese from entering Indian territory.