India’s hopes of staying in contention for a place at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup ended in Goa on Tuesday night, as Singapore came from behind to register a 2-1 win at the Fatorda Stadium. A brace from Song Ui-young cancelled out Lallianzuala Chhangte’s early strike, helping the visitors secure three vital points and move closer to the top of Group C.
The match began with India pressing high and putting early pressure on Singapore’s defence. Khalid Jamil’s side looked sharp from the outset, keeping possession and pushing men forward in search of an early breakthrough. Their intent was rewarded in the 14th minute when Chhangte, finding space about thirty yards from goal, unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that flew past goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud into the top corner.
Buoyed by the goal, India continued to dominate the first half, with Chhangte, Liston Colaco and Mahesh Singh combining well in attack. The home side repeatedly tested the Singapore defence, forcing hurried clearances and creating several scoring chances.
Colaco saw one effort cleared off the line, while Mahesh shot straight at the goalkeeper after being set up by Sunil Chhetri. Chhangte also missed a good opportunity inside the box, sending his shot over the bar.
Despite India’s control, Singapore struck back just before half-time. A cross from the right by Irfan Najeeb found Glenn Kweh in space on the left. Kweh calmly rolled the ball into the path of Song Ui-young, who placed a low shot beyond Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to bring his team level at 1-1 going into the break.
India resumed the second half with the same attacking intent, but their defence remained open to counter-attacks. Singapore took full advantage in the 58th minute when Ikhsan Fandi held up play after receiving a long pass and released Shawal Anuar on the right side of the box. Anuar’s low ball across found Song once again in space, and the midfielder made no mistake, firing past Gurpreet from a tight angle to make it 2-1 for the visitors.
From then on, India threw players forward, trying to recover the game. Jamil introduced fresh attacking options including Brandon Fernandes and Udanta Singh, but the goal remained elusive. Brandon and Udanta both missed clear chances late on, while Singapore stood firm at the back and looked dangerous on the break.
As the final whistle went, Singapore’s players celebrated a result that kept their qualification hopes alive. The win took them within two points of group leaders Hong Kong, who had drawn earlier in the day. For India, the defeat meant elimination from the qualification race, as they slipped to the bottom of the group after a night that began brightly but ended in disappointment at Fatorda.
