Asian Cup 2027: Tuesday night brought a big shock for Indian football fans. India’s dream was broken by Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. In this important match played in Goa, India had to face defeat by 2-1. The defeat was all the more painful as Singapore’s FIFA ranking is 24 places below India. In such a situation, the Indian team was more disappointed by this defeat.
India’s lead at the beginning of the match
The beginning of the match was very good for the Indian team. In the 14th minute, Lalianzuala Chhangte gave India a 1-0 lead through a brilliant long shot. Seeing this goal, the Indian audience jumped with joy, and it seemed that the team could progress in this match. India maintained pressure on Singapore for the first half hour. Subhashish Bose and Sunil Chhetri made many good moves in the midfield, but they could not convert into goals.
India’s defensive mistake gave Singapore a chance
However, the mood of the match changed at the end of the first half. There was a big mistake in India’s defense in the 42nd minute. Singapore midfielder Song Ui-young took advantage of this and sent the ball towards the goal post, which went straight into the net. This goal made the score 1-1 and both the teams remained equal till halftime.
Singapore took the lead in the second half
In the second half, Indian coach Khalil Jamil made some changes. He sent Rahim Ali and Udanta Singh to play in place of Liston Colasso and Sunil Chhetri. However, these changes did not prove beneficial for India. Song Ui-young scored another goal in the 58th minute, giving Singapore a 2–1 lead. After this, India continuously put pressure on Singapore, but Singapore’s defense remained very strong.
India missed at the last chance
Indian players tried to attack continuously. Udanta Singh and Rahul Bheke made some good moves from the right flank, but the team did not succeed in scoring a goal. Brandon Fernandes had an easy chance in the 90th minute, but he failed to convert it. As soon as the last whistle blew, disappointment was clearly visible on the faces of the Indian players.
India out of Asian Cup
Apart from Singapore, teams from Hong Kong and Bangladesh are also included in India’s group. The winning team of this group will get direct entry for the Asian Cup. Currently, Singapore and Hong Kong are at the top of the points table with eight points each, while India have only two draws and two defeats in their account. Now India has two more matches, but hopes of qualifying are almost over.