India vs Singapore, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: Blue Tigers’ spark fades in fanless Goa as gloom deepens

Margao: Defeats and draws have been more prominent than ever for Indian football team in last two years as they struggled to beat three lower-ranked sides in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027 Final Round, but on a rare night in Goa when they finally decided to turn up with all their might, the story ended with elimination at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Tuesday. Equally as bad as the crushing 2-1 loss to Singapore was the attendance at the famous Fatorda ground, as most of the passionate Goans decided to stay away, releasing the pressure from The Lions, who were playing away from home.

It was a must-win match for Khalid Jamil and his boys as they battled for survival in their hunt to qualify for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, two years down the line. But Bangladesh pulled off an upset, holding Group C toppers Hong Kong to a late draw just moments before the Blue Tigers took the pitch.

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The pressure of a do-or-die result was lifted. A draw would have also been acceptable, but that was not the script India rehearsed since they landed in Goa, after playing out an insipid 1-1 draw in Singapore five days ago.

Coach Khalid roared in the press conference on the eve of the game, promising “positivity” and an “attacking” game from Gupreet Singh Sandhu and Co. Accepting his mistake of fielding an inexperienced midfield setup in the away game, the manager, who masterminded Aizwal FC’s off-defying I-League title win in 2017, also included Subhasish Bose and midfielder Lalengmawia ‘Apuia’ Ralte to the starting XI.

Chhangte lends hope, but Singapore fight back

The team responded in the best way possible, playing 44 minutes of enthralling high-pressing football, which kept the fans on the edge and Singaporeans nicely forced into their own half. The decision to play Liston Colaco on the right and Lallianzuala Chhangte on the right, with Mahesh Singh Naorem just behind Sunil Chhetri and Apuia combined with Nikhil Prabhu in the midfield, created some of the Indian team’s best football in years.

It was non-stop crossing, intricate passing, breakneck high-press and shots from Chhangte, Apuia and Mahesh whenever the opportunity arose. The opening goal came as a result of that constant pressure when a defensive mistake left Chhangte with acres of space just outside the box. He curled in a screamer into the right corner from outside the box and India started dreaming of Saudi Arabia.

Whatever few fans were in the stands, they all rose in unison. Maybe it was just a thousand of them, but the celebratory shout echoed throughout the ground like a loud boom.

For those who have followed Indian football for long, this was football on another level. Almost mirroring utopia, but what do they say about sports: it’s not over till it’s over.

And so it unraveled, in the 44th minute with a strike from Song Ui-young. A lucky goal in many ways, as a long cross bounced off Rahul Bheke and fell perfectly for Glenn Kweh to cut it to Ui-young, who made no mistake in levelling the score.

Heartbreak at half-time, from which India never recovered. They were the better side in the first half, and also in the second iteration, but the goals never came. India’s old habit of squandering chances reared its head again as inefficiency and lack of composure marked every opportunity they created. Sunil Chhetri, who was largely anonymous in an electric first half, found two good headers in the second half, but it was nothing the Singaporean goalkeeper Zwan Mahbud could not stop.

In desperation, Jamil threw the kitchen sink at Singapore. Farukh Choudhary, Sahal Abdul Samad, Udanata Singh, Rahim Ali and Brandon Fernandes all come on at different intervals, but no one could inspire that comeback goal, whereas Singapore found the winner in the 58th minute, once again from Ui-young.

It was a goal that highlighted what was wrong with India. Against the play, after Ikhsan Fandi made a direct run from the centre, he quickly found Shawal Anuar on the right in the box, under pressure. Anuar crossed it back from a poor position, this time for Ui-young as the player of the match, ended India’s hopes.

Jamil’s post-match scenes spark new fear

A livid Jamil praised his players for their efforts in the post-match press conference, but did not shy away from admitting that “lack of concentration” proved to be their undoing.

“I don’t have to say much, everybody worked hard, it’s football, sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you don’t,” Jamil said.

“I am feeling very sad that we are out. I don’t want to blame anyone. We have to try to rectify our mistakes.

“The lack of concentration after scoring an early goal in the 25th minute, we conceded at the end of the first half. You can say we suffered from a lack of concentration.”

Jamil did not have to say how sad he was. It was obvious from some poignant post-match scenes as he refused to leave the dugout even after players had walked off the pitch. Sunk deep into his seat, Jamil cut a sorry figure, dissecting a dispirited defeat with his assistant, Mahesh Gawli.

Khalid Jamil is stuck to his seat, unable to understand what just happened. India lose 2-1 to Singapore, out of Asian Cup qualifiers. pic.twitter.com/eqAQNc5GCB

— Ujwal (@UjwalKS) October 14, 2025

If you are an Indian football fan, that scene was eerie in many ways. Nothing has been going well in Indian football for a long time. The Indian Super League (ISL) doesn’t have an organiser, a FIFA ban was looming on the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) just a few weeks back and the national team has been playing in the crucial qualifiers without any competitive football. Now, add another despondent chapter to Indian football’s hopeless tale — there will be no Asian Cup action for India until at least 2031.