Indian Football Team: Blue Tigers’ Group and Schedule for Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Revealed

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The road to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 has been set for the Indian football team as they were drawn into Group C of the Qualifiers Final Round, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh. The draw was held on December 9, 2024, at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four. Only the group winners will qualify to join 18 teams that have already secured their spots in the tournament set to be held in Saudi Arabia. India, ranked 127th in the latest FIFA rankings, is the highest-ranked team in their group.

Their opponents include Hong Kong (156th), Singapore (161st), and Bangladesh (185th). The Blue Tigers, under head coach Manolo Márquez, will begin their campaign at home against Bangladesh on March 25, 2025.

Speaking about the draw, Márquez said, "We are a Pot 1 team and we need to show why we are the favourites to qualify. Every group is difficult. Hong Kong has improved a lot with naturalised players and with their coach Ashley Westwood. We will play against Bangladesh first in March, who have been our regular opponents in the SAFF Championship. We need to top the group and qualify for the Asian Cup."

Fixtures

India will play six games in a home-and-away format between March 2025 and March 2026. Here is the schedule:

• 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)

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India has faced all three group opponents in recent years. They played a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh in the 2021 SAFF Championship, defeated Hong Kong 4-0 in the 2022 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata, and drew 1-1 against Singapore in a friendly tournament in Vietnam the same year.

This marks a significant opportunity for India to qualify for their third consecutive Asian Cup, a feat that would be a first in their footballing history. The team will aim to capitalize on their strong rankings and showcase their prowess on the road to Saudi Arabia 2027.