By Admin 
Tuesday night was very disappointing for Indian football fans. Singapore broke India’s dream of making it to the AFC Asian Cup 2027. In the qualifier match played in Goa, India was shown the way out by Singapore by defeating it 2-1. This defeat is even more stinging because Singapore’s FIFA ranking is 24 places below India.
Chhangte gave lead, then the match deteriorated
The beginning of the match was excellent for the Indian team. In the 14th minute, Lalianzuala Chhangte scored a brilliant long shot from a distance of about 25 yards and gave India a 1-0 lead. India maintained pressure on Singapore for the first half hour. Subhashish Bose and Sunil Chhetri made many good moves in the midfield, but could not convert them into goals.
Opportunity got due to mistake of Indian defence.
At the end of the first half, India’s defense suddenly weakened. In the 42nd minute, Singapore’s Korean-born midfielder Song Ui-young took advantage of a mistake in front of India’s goal post and fired a low shot, which went straight into the net. Due to which the score became 1-1 and both the teams remained equal till half-time.
Dream broken in the second half
In the second half, Indian coach Khalil Jamil also made changes in the players. He sent Rahim Ali and Udanta Singh to play in place of Liston Colasso and Sunil Chhetri, but these changes did not prove to be effective in the team’s favor. Song Ui-young scored his second goal in the 58th minute, and Singapore took a 2–1 lead.
India attacked continuously after this. Udanta Singh and Rahul Bheke made brilliant moves from the right flank, but Brandon Fernandes missed an easy chance in the 90th minute. As soon as the last whistle blew, disappointment was clearly visible on the faces of the Indian players.
Team out of Asian Cup
India’s group includes teams from Singapore as well as Hong Kong and Bangladesh. Only the winning team of this group will get the direct ticket for the Asian Cup. Currently, Hong Kong and Singapore are at the top of the points table with eight points each, while India has only two draws and two defeats in its account after four matches. Now India definitely has two matches left, but its hopes of qualifying are almost over.