(Photo AFC)
Ten-man India fought back to hold Singapore to a 1-1 draw in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Group C tie.
The result kept India’s hopes alive while Singapore will rue conceding a 90th minute equaliser which could jeopardise their hopes of qualifying for the Finals on merit for the first time.
Singapore headed into the tie in a healthier position, sitting level at the top of the standings with four points while India only had a draw to show from their earlier two matches.
India started on the front foot, forcing a corner in the third minute but Rahul Bheke’s set-piece did not trouble Singapore, who easily cleared the threat.
The hosts gradually settled and began to see more of the ball and had a chance in the 12th minute with Shah Sahiran delivering a cross towards Harhys Stewart in the centre but the midfielder was quickly closed down by Sandesh Jhingan and Mughammed Uvais.
Both sides continued to prod but Singapore began to dominate possession and finally went ahead just before the break after missing a couple of earlier opportunities.
A quick build-up saw Harris Harun setting up Shawal Anuar in the box with a diagonal run, with the forward exchanging passes with Ikhsan Fandi who applied the finishing touch.
India suffered a setback just two minutes into the second half when Jhingan was sent off for a foul on Ikhsan, with the defender picking up a second yellow card.
Head coach Khalid Jamil responded to the red card by sacrificing forward Farukh Haji Choudhary with defender Hmingthanmawia replacing him.
Despite being a player down, India played with aggression but lacked the final touch and needed saves from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to keep them in the tie.
Their perseverance, however, was rewarded right at the end of regulation time when Rahim Ali capitalised on Singapore custodian Izwan Mahbud losing the ball under pressure, allowing the substitute to knock home to keep India’s hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Bjorn Kristensen starred with all four goals as Philippines defeated Timor-Leste 4-1 in Group A in Darwin.
The win took the Philippines to seven points with the sides to meet again in Capas on Tuesday.
Yemen secured their first win after defeating hosts Brunei Darussalam 2-0 in their Group B tie. First half strikes from Abdulwasea Al Matari and Nasser Al Gahwashi secured the three points for Noureddine Ould Ali’s side.
Thailand roared back into contention with a 2-0 win over Chinese Taipei in their Group D tie at the Rajamangala Stadium.
Thailand, with two wins and one defeat, moved level on points with Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka following the latter’s 1-0 victory over the Central Asian side in the earlier match.
Omar Khribin starred with a hat-trick as Syria defeated Myanmar 5-1 in their Group E tie. The victory not only maintained Syria’s perfect record but also took them three points clear of Myanmar, with the sides to square off again on Tuesday.
Malaysia produced a spirited second-half performance to defeat Laos 3-0 in their Group F tie. After a goalless first half, Malaysia’s win was secured through efforts from Arif Aiman, Dion Cools and Faisal Halim with the sides to meet again in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Vietnam held off a battling Nepal to seal a 3-1 win in their Group F tie. Sanish Shrestha cancelled out Nguyen Tien Linh’s opener before Nepal were reduced to 10 men going into the break, with Vietnam sealing the win through second half goals from Pham Xuan Manh and Nguyen Van Vi.
RESULTS
Group A
Timor-Leste 1-4 Philippines
Tajikistan 2-0 Maldives
Group B
Brunei Darussalam 0-2 Yemen
Lebanon 2-0 Bhutan
Group C
Singapore 1-1 India
Bangladesh 3-4 Hong Kong, China
Group D
Sri Lanka 1-0 Turkmenistan
Thailand 2-0 Chinese Taipei
Group E
Pakistan 0-0 Afghanistan
Syria 5-1 Myanmar
Group F
Laos 0-3 Malaysia
Vietnam 3-1 Nepal
