The Indian football team's dream of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 remained unfulfilled on Tuesday. In the crucial qualifier match played in Goa, India suffered a 2-1 defeat against lower-ranked Singapore.
Sports News: The Indian football team's dream of playing in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 has been shattered. In the significant qualifier match played in Goa on Tuesday, India faced a 2-1 defeat against Singapore. The match started well for India. In the 14th minute, Lallianzuala Chhangte scored with a magnificent long-range shot, giving India the lead.
In the initial phase, India's play looked b; the team pressed well and maintained possession of the ball. Subhashish Bose and Bikas Chetri collectively created several scoring opportunities, but India could not capitalize further, and eventually, the match ended 2-1 in favor of Singapore.
A Brilliant Start to the Match for India
The match began promisingly for India. In the 14th minute, Lallianzuala Chhangte scored with a magnificent long-range shot, giving India the lead. In the early stages, the Indian team applied good pressure and maintained possession of the ball. Subhashish Bose and Sunil Chhetri also created several scoring opportunities, which heightened the excitement among the spectators.
However, Singapore equalized towards the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute, Singapore's Korean-born midfielder Song Ui-young capitalized on a minor error by India's defense, scoring with a low shot. The score was 1-1 by halftime.
Singapore Turned the Match Around in the Second Half
India maintained pressure at the start of the second half, but in the 58th minute, Song Ui-young scored his second goal, giving Singapore a 2-1 lead. Following this, India's head coach Khalil Jameel made several substitutions. He brought Rahim Ali and Udanta Singh onto the field in place of Liston Colaco and Sunil Chhetri.
Despite this, the Indian team put up a commendable performance. The efforts of Udanta Singh and Rahul Bheke paid off, but a golden opportunity for an equalizer missed by Brandon Fernandes in the final minute proved to be unfortunate for India.
Group Standings and India's Statistics
India's group is currently competing with Singapore and Hong Kong. In the group, Singapore and Hong Kong are at the top with eight points each. India has played four matches so far, which include two losses and two draws. Even victories in the remaining two matches would not be sufficient for Asian Cup qualification. India's FIFA ranking is 134th, while Singapore's is 158th. Thus, based on rankings, India was considered to be in a better position, but in-game strategy and last-minute errors blocked India's path to qualification.
After the match, coach Khalil Jameel said, 'We created many opportunities in the match, but couldn't score. The players put in their full effort. However, despite this defeat, we will be ready for our next matches. In football, sometimes results don't go as desired, but this is a learning experience for the team.'
