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Indian football team lost 0-1 to Hong Kong in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier, jeopardizing their chances and likely dropping to 133 in FIFA rankings.
(Credit: AIFF Media)
Indian football’s struggles continued as the senior men’s team, lacking determination, finishing, and the will to fight, suffered a disappointing 0-1 defeat to lower-ranked Hong Kong in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match on Tuesday.
Hosts Hong Kong secured victory with an injury-time goal by Stefan Pereira in the 94th minute penalty, in what was a slap in the face to the atrocious Indian team.
This defeat jeopardised India’s chances of qualifying for the next Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, and the team is likely to drop to 133 in the FIFA rankings, while Hong Kong will gain points and move up in the standings.
India’s abhorrent showing in Hong Kong tonight angered many a fans alike, including Parth Jindal, who expressed his resentment and disappointment on X.
This is completely unacceptable @IndianFootball – just not good enough under any circumstances – deep introspection needed by the AIFF – this is not what all of us lovers and backers of Indian football have spent our hard earned money and effort to witness – get a manager and a…— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) June 10, 2025
“This is completely unacceptable @IndianFootball – just not good enough under any circumstances – deep introspection needed by the AIFF – this is not what all of us lovers and backers of Indian football have spent our hard earned money and effort to witness – get a manager and a system that works – it’s high time – there is too much effort to see a result like this,” Jindal wrote in his post.
The team’s struggles have been so significant that head coach Manolo Marquez had to persuade Sunil Chhetri to come out of retirement, a year after he had decided to step away from international football.
Despite Chhetri’s return, the team remains stuck in its recent downward spiral.
Manolo’s future with the national team is also uncertain. In addition to his role as the head coach of the national team, he continues to hold his position at ISL side FC Goa.
With a dismal record of one win in their last 12 matches, the Indian football team continues to show no sign of improvement, and unsurprisingly, one could bet their money on not expecting much anytime in the near future.
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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