India aims to qualify for a third successive AFC Asian Cup for the first time in history and make a sixth appearance overall as they begin their journey in the final round of the qualifiers for the 2027 edition hosted by Saudi Arabia. After failing to be among the 18 teams that directly qualified for the tournament by qualifying for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Blue Tigers had to navigate this route again to see themselves in the Middle East four years later. India initially planned to host the AFC Asian Cup 2027 by submitting a bid in 2020 but the current regime withdrew it three years later.
The final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers begins on 25 March 2025 and will be contested over six match days in a home-and-away format. 24 teams were divided into six groups in the final round draw conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday, December 9, 2024, with the winners receiving the ticket for the main competition. India was drawn against Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangladesh in Group C having placed in Pot 1. Despite the concerning form, the Blue Tigers are expected to top their final round group having handed an easier side of the draw with all opponents ranked significantly below them.
Form
The main concern for India ahead of the final round qualifiers for the 2027 Asian Cup is their disappointing record of not securing a single win throughout the year. Their last victory came in November 2023 when they beat Kuwait in the first match of the second-round AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team, then under Igor Stimac, failed to accomplish their historical attempt to make it to the third round with three losses and two draws in the preceding games. The Asian Cup 2024 held in January in Qatar was the tip of their disappointment as the side suffered losses in all the games and even failed to score in their worst campaign in history. Their performance contrasted sharply with a successful 2023 in which they secured three trophies consecutively. The change of hands with Manolo Marquez coming in did not produce an instant change in the team’s confidence as they lost their Intercontinental Cup defence to Syria. However, the final two games ended their losing norm with draws against top sides like Vietnam and Malaysia. India ended 2024 with no wins in 11 games, seven losses, five draws and scoring just four goals with three coming in the previous five. Hence, Marquez has to put a lot of work into turning the fortunes around for the national side making it the toughest challenge of his managerial career in India.
Group C opponents
Hong Kong
India faced Hong Kong in the previous AFC Asian Cup qualifier's final round demolishing them 4-0 at Salt Lake in 2022 to top their group and book their place in the competition. It was a history-making night as the Blue Tigers made it to back-to-back Asian Cups for the first time by topping their group ending their three-game winless streak in this fixture. However, it was only their second victory in the past six matches after winning the first eight meetings. Even though placed 156th in the latest FIFA rankings, Hong Kong could be a tricky opponent because of their new manager Ashley Westwood who spent a major chunk of his managerial career in India. His former side Afghanistan defeated the Blue Tigers in the World Cup qualifiers in Guwahati in one of the shocking results the team had to endure in 2024. After suffering a horrendous Asian Cup campaign and picking up just two wins till October, the Dragons managed to win the last three of the four games under Westwood showing signs of improvement under the new boss. They could pose a serious challenge for the top spot in Group C.
Singapore
Another team India needs to be careful about is Singapore whom they have only beaten four times out of nine meetings, the last win coming in 2004. This is the first meeting between the sides in the Asian Cup qualifiers, the one Manolo Marquez will be desperate to win to end their three-game winless run in this fixture. Singapore, ranked 161st in FIFA rankings, are also concerned about their form with just one win managed in six games this year. The Lions finished dead last in their World Cup qualifiers second round group losing five of the six matches, conceding 24 goals and picking up just one point. The team also carried their unwanted record of not qualifying for the Asian Cup in history, except for hosting in 1984, after not making it to Qatar in January. Singapore hopes to improve their form in the upcoming AFF Championship which will be their ideal preparation ahead of the final round qualifiers for the Asian Cup 2027 in the new year.
Bangladesh
The lowest-ranked nation in the group, fellow SAFF nation Bangladesh will be the opposition India will wish to take full points in both fixtures. Anything less than that will be a huge shock for the team that needs to win their group to qualify for the finals. India has never lost to the Red and Green this century and only incurred two defeats in 31 meetings with no losses since 1999. Despite that, the national team only managed to win once against them in the last five meetings including drawing 1-1 in the previous meeting at the 2021 SAFF Championship. The Blue Tigers have found it difficult to get past the ultra-defensive strategy used by the opponents, something they will want to change in the final round. In the previous joint qualifiers for the World Cup and Asian Cup, India drew with Bangladesh at home and won away, the game happened in Qatar during the Covid pandemic, having not failed to score in 14 games of this fixture.
Fixtures
25 March 2025
India vs Bangladesh
10 June 2025
Hong Kong vs India
9 October 2025
India vs Singapore
14 October 2025
Singapore vs India
18 November 2025
Bangladesh vs India
31 March 2026
India vs Hong Kong
There will be no more international breaks for India to try to retrieve their worrying form ahead of the final round in March 2025. The team will get into the action in-between the 2024-25 Indian Super League season which will reach its business end by then. Manolo Marquez’s team are without momentum, having only drawn against Vietnam and Malaysia in the closing months of 2024 but opening the qualifiers against Bangladesh at home could help them end their winless streak. That being said, the Blue Tigers have not won a home meeting in this fixture since August 2007 and have also not won at home since June 2023. Their away form also needs to be mended with their last away being the 2021 SAFF Championship final win in Maldives. The second match in the trip to Hong Kong will be significant before they play the double-header against Singapore in October 2025. India will want to finish their job before the final game against Hong Kong in March 2026 as pinning all hopes on that match could be costly even at home. Despite a forgetful year, the Blue Tigers are favourites to qualify for a third straight Asian Cup in getting a new direction under Manolo Marquez.