India's hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup came to an end on Tuesday after a 1-2 defeat to Singapore at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Despite taking an early lead through Lallianzuala Chhangte strike, India spurned multiple chances before two goals from Singapore’s Song Ui-young sealed the hosts' fate. The loss leaves India at the bottom of Group C without a win, eliminating them from the qualification race.
Playing under new head coach Khalid Jamil, India started the match brightly, dominating possession and pressing with high intensity. Their early pressure paid off in the 14th minute when Chhangte unleashed a powerful long-range shot with his weaker right foot that found the top corner of the net. India continued to create opportunities, with Mahesh Naorem and Chhangte missing clear-cut chances to extend the lead before halftime.
Singapore weathered the storm and struck back against the run of play just before the interval. A failure to clear a cross into the box allowed Glenn Kweh to set up Song Ui-young, who calmly side-footed the ball past goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to equalize in the 44th minute. The visitors then took the lead in the 58th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error and launching a swift counter-attack that ended with an unmarked Song firing home his second goal of the night.
In a desperate search for an equalizer, coach Jamil made a series of attacking substitutions, bringing on players like Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, and Udanta Singh. However, India's wastefulness in front of goal continued, with Brandon Fernandes missing a clear chance in the 90th minute. Despite their late pressure, the Indian team's fight came to a tame end.
After the match, coach Khalid Jamil attributed the loss to a "lack of concentration," particularly around the goals conceded at the end of the first half and early in the second. With Hong Kong and Bangladesh playing out a 1-1 draw in the group's other fixture, Singapore moved level with Hong Kong at the top of the table with eight points each, while India's campaign concluded in disappointment.
