'India out of World Cup, out of Asian Cup, but still in Supreme Court'

India’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup were dashed after they suffered a 1-2 defeat to Singapore in their third-round qualifier.

Head Coach Khalid Jamil attributed the loss to a “lack of concentration” on the part of the Indian players. The men’s side making an inglorious exit from the continental event is yet another setback for Indian football.

The Indian Super League (ISL) season is yet to start due to a contractual issue, while the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been dragged to the Supreme Court over its constitution. In addition to this, the men’s team have slipped to their lowest FIFA ranking in nine years, reaching a lowly position of 134.

Commentator Joe Morrison summarised the whole situation in a post on X. “India are out of the World Cup, out of the Asian Cup, but are still in the Supreme Court,” posted Morrison after the defeat to Singapore.

India had started the match brilliantly, with Lallianzuala Chhangte putting them ahead in the 14th minute, but Korean-born midfielder Song Ui-Young sparked a comeback for Singapore. Song struck just before halftime to level the score, despite India dominating much of the first half at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.

After the break, Singapore looked sharper and more confident, and Song capitalised on a defensive lapse to score from close range, putting the visitors ahead 2-1 and ultimately sealing India’s defeat.

Indian head coach Khalid Jamil then made plenty of substitutions to get India back in the game. Brandon Fernandes missed out on a great chance to restore parity for India on the 90th minute after excellent work from Udanta Singh and Rahul Bheke. He hit the ball wide with his weaker foot, with the goal at his mercy.

With the defeat, India ended their campaign with just two points from four matches. Only the group winners will qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, a position currently contested by Hong Kong and Singapore, both sitting on eight points each.

In November, India play a double header against Hong Kong coached by Ashley Westwood. However, even if they win both matches, the highest India can finish is third in Group C, which is not sufficient to help them qualify for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2027.