India Faces Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh in AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 9 (NationPress) India has been drawn against Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers final round. The draw, which organized 24 teams into six groups of four, was conducted at the AFC House here on Monday.

Only the six group winners will secure qualification and join the 18 teams that have already earned their spots in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 following the second round of qualifying. The final round of qualifiers will take place over six match days in a home-and-away format from March 25, 2025, to March 31, 2026. India, looking to qualify for three consecutive Asian Cups for the first time in its history, will kick off their campaign at home against Bangladesh.

India has encountered all three opponents recently. The Blue Tigers last played against Bangladesh in the 2021 SAFF Championship, faced Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022, and competed against Singapore during the Hung Thinh Friendly Tournament in Vietnam in September 2022.

According to the FIFA Rankings released in November, India is ranked 127th, Hong Kong is 156th, Singapore is 161st, and Bangladesh is 185th.

After the draw, India's head coach Manolo Marquez stated, "We are a Pot 1 team and need to demonstrate why we are the favorites to qualify. There are not too many differences between groups; every group poses challenges. Hong Kong has improved significantly with naturalized players and their coach Ashley Westwood, whom India faced during the World Cup Qualifiers when he was managing Afghanistan.

We will play against Bangladesh first in March, as they have been our regular opponents in the SAFF Championship. We are aware of the schedule. We have six matches, and our objective is to top the group and qualify for the Asian Cup.

India's schedule in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers final round:

March 25, 2025: India vs Bangladesh (home)

June 10, 2025: Hong Kong vs India (away)

October 9, 2025: India vs Singapore (home)

October 14, 2025: Singapore vs India (away)

November 18, 2025: Bangladesh vs India (away)

March 31, 2026: India vs Hong Kong (home)

Full draw results for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers final round:

Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste

Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam

Group C: India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh

Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka

Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan

Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos