AFC ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS

Winless, 'Chhetri'-less India get easy draw in Asian Cup qualifiers

India will host Bangladesh in their opening game of the final round qualification for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 on March 25 next year. The Indian men's football team has not won a competitive match in over a year, with the last win (1-0) coming against Kuwait in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on November 16, 2023.

Since then, India have played 12 matches, losing seven and drawing the rest. Head Coach Manolo Marquez will be hoping his side ends their bad run in the Asian Cup qualifiers, where India have been drawn into Group C, also comprising Hong Kong China and Singapore.

India, ranked 127th in the world, is aiming for their sixth qualification to the final round. Hong Kong, China are ranked 156th, while Singapore and Bangladesh are 161st and 185th respectively in the latest FIFA world rankings. "I am sure with the kind of preparations we have planned, the National Team will do well in the Asian Cup qualifiers," Marquez said ahead of the draw.

In the previous final round qualifiers in 2023, India topped their group, defeating Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Cambodia. Sunil Chhetri had finished top scorer with four goals back then. The 40-year-old Bengaluru FC striker retired from international football in May 2024.

A total of 24 teams have been split into six groups of four each. The group matches will be held in a round-robin format on a home-away basis between March 25, 2025 and March 26, 2026. Pakistan, which has been drawn into Group E, will play Syria in their opener.

Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste
Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei DS
Group C: India, Hong Kong China, Singapore, Bangladesh
Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka
Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan
Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos