Credit: X
The Indian national football team are under fierce criticism for their underwhelming performance in the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualification. On June 10, India registered a 0-1 loss against Hong Kong, China at Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon. Blue Tigers lost the game in the extra time. In the first half of the tournament, India displayed fighting spirit but couldn’t score despite creating chances. Indian forwards were expected to be aggressive but they lacked confidence which led to the team’s humiliating loss against 154th ranked Hong Kong.
Following the defeat, the Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal expressed concern over the current situation of Indian football. He said this result isn’t acceptable after spending ample time and money on the evolution of Indian football for so many years. "This is completely unacceptable @IndianFootball - just not good enough under any circumstances - deep introspection needed by the AIFF - this is not what all of us lovers and backers of Indian football have spent our hard earned money and effort to witness - get a manager and a system that works - it’s high time - there is too much effort to see a result like this," wrote Jindal through his X handle.
India at the bottom of Group C
India are currently ranked at the bottom of the Group C points table, with just one point in two games. Lower-ranked sides such as Hong Kong and Bangladesh are placed above India in the pool. With the hammering against Hong Kong China, India’s chances of qualifying for the 2027 tournament took a major hit.
India’s next game is against Singapore on October 9 in Dhaka. Singapore beat Bangladesh in Dhaka on June 10 and took one more step closer to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, to be hosted by Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. The upcoming task won’t be easy for the Indian team as Singapore are in superb form with four points in two matches.
