India held to 1-1 by Singapore, hopes hinge on remaining results

India were held to a 1-1 draw by Singapore on Tuesday at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, leaving their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying hopes dependent on other results. Lallianzuala Chhangte gave the hosts a 14th-minute lead with a long-range strike, but Song Uiyoung levelled on the cusp of halftime, and the match finished all square.

The result leaves India with two points from three Group C matches, third behind Hong Kong on seven and Singapore on five. Bangladesh sit bottom with one point. Only the top side in each group advances to the 24-team final tournament in Saudi Arabia, so India must win all three of their remaining fixtures and rely on favourable outcomes elsewhere to secure qualification.

India dominated large periods of the first half, forcing several chances before Chhangte struck from outside the box. The Blue Tigers registered multiple openings, including a headed chance by Liston Colaco that was cleared off the line and a close-range miss by Chhangte later in the game. Singapore’s equaliser came from their only successful effort before the break, leaving India to chase the match in the second half without finding a winning goal.