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United News of India
10-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
India suffered narrow defeat to Hong Kong in Asian Cup Qualifiers
Kowloon (Hong Kong), June 10 (UNI) The Indian national football team fell to a 1-0 defeat against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at Kai Tak Stadium here on Tuesday. A stoppage-time penalty from Stefan Pereira secured all three points for the hosts. India's head coach Manolo Marquez made three changes to the starting lineup from the previous friendly against Thailand. Suresh Singh Wangjam came in for Ayush Dev Chhetri in central midfield, while Brandon Fernandes and Lallianzuala Chhangte replaced Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh, respectively. Ashique Kuruniyan was deployed up front. With both teams having dropped points in their opening fixtures, they approached the game with urgency and attacking intent. The early stages saw end-to-end action, but neither side could carve out a clear-cut chance. In the 25th minute, Hong Kong's Raphael Lee tested Vishal Kaith with a long-range effort, but the Indian goalkeeper stood firm. Liston Colaco responded with a strike from distance at the other end, which the opposition keeper comfortably collected. Anwar Ali made a crucial intervention around the half-hour mark, timing his tackle perfectly at the edge of the box to deny a dangerous Hong Kong move. Had he missed, it could have spelled trouble for the Blue Tigers — and him. India's best chance of the half came in the 35th minute when Brandon Fernandes won possession near the halfway line. He released Liston Colaco, who threaded a sharp through-ball to Ashique. However, the forward couldn't keep his shot on target from close range. Hong Kong came close just before the break when Juninho attempted a quick free-kick to catch India off guard, but the Indian defence reacted well to avert the threat. The teams headed into half-time with the score still goalless. Five minutes into the second half, Ashique had another opportunity, but his half-turn shot went wide. In the 57th minute, Ashique, who appeared to be in some discomfort, was replaced by Sunil Chhetri, while Naorem Mahesh Singh came on for Brandon Fernandes. A few minutes later, Wangjam lost the ball in a dangerous area, allowing Manuel Rodriguez a chance on goal, but his effort was tipped over the bar by Kaith for a corner. In the 80th minute, Mahesh and Chhetri combined well, with the latter playing a through ball to Liston Colaco, who fired his effort wide. Moments later, Lallianzuala Chhangte made a driving run and set up Chhetri, whose attempt was blocked for a corner by Leon Jones. The decisive moment came in the first minute of added time when Kaith conceded a penalty. Pereira stepped up, and his shot clipped the inside of the post before rolling into the net — his strike ultimately sealing the win for Hong Kong. This result left the Blue Tigers with one point from two matches, while Hong Kong climbed to four. UNI BM BD
Mint
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Mint
India's AFC Asian Cup 2027 hopes dented by 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong
India's campaign in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers took a hit as they lost against Hong Kong on Tuesday (June 10). The Blue Tigers suffered a 0-1 defeat at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Despite a spirited performance and support from the Indian fans in the stands, Team India failed to convert chances. They ultimately paid the price for missed opportunities and a late defensive lapse. Notably, this loss marks a contrast to India's dominant 4-0 victory over Hong Kong in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers. The first half saw India create several chances, particularly in the attacking third. The Blue Tigers matched Hong Kong's intensity, with both teams registering two shots on target. A key moment came in the 39th minute when Liston Colaco passed the ball to Ashique Kuruniyan inside the box. However, Kuruniyan hesitated, opting not to shoot with his right leg. Instead, he attempted a less favourable angle with his left, resulting in his effort going in vain. This missed opportunity proved costly, as India failed to capitalize on their dominance and went into the break level at 0-0. India's defense, led by goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, held firm for much of the match. India managed to defend against Hong Kong's attacks despite the hosts' growing pressure in the second half. However, the game's turning point arrived in the added time of the second half. A moment of miscommunication saw Kaith collide with Hong Kong's Udebuluzor while both players contested a high ball in the penalty area. The referee promptly awarded a penalty, a decision that left the Indian team stunned. Stepan Pereira stepped up for Hong Kong, to take the penalty. Kaith, anticipating the shot, dove the wrong way, and the ball went into the net, securing a 1-0 lead for Hong Kong. The late strike left India with no time to recover. With this loss, India's qualification hopes for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 have taken a blow, but the campaign is far from over. The Blue Tigers seek to bounce back after addressing their finishing woes and tightening their defensive coordination in upcoming matches.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Relief for India as eight players get Hong Kong visas after 15-day wait
Liston Colaco tries to work his way past Thailand during an international friendly at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani on Wednesday Panaji: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) heaved a sigh of relief as eight national team players were granted visas to travel to Hong Kong, after waiting for more than two weeks. India play Hong Kong in a crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier on June 10. Indian passport holders can travel to Hong Kong visa-free for up to 14 days but a pre-arrival registration form must be filled online before landing in the country. According to sources, the AIFF applied online for the pre-arrival registration on May 18 with a majority of the 28 players and 14 officials getting their applications cleared in quick time. On May 28, the team was scheduled to travel to Thailand for an international friendly, and they did with eight players, including captain Sandesh Jhingan, unsure about making the onward trip to Hong Kong. 'The applications kept coming back for eight players and we didn't know what to do,' said a senior AIFF official. 'We wrote to the ministry of external affairs and then the President (Kalyan Chaubey) had to speak with the concerned ministries to ensure that all players got the visas.' The visas for the eight players which included Jhingan, Amrinder Singh, Subhashish Bose, Manvir Singh, Ashish Rai, Anwar Ali, Gurmeet Singh and Mehtab Singh were finally issued on Tuesday, 15 days after their first application. Thailand cruise past India India were left with plenty of work to do for next week's all-important qualifier against Hong Kong after losing the friendly 2-0 against Thailand at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani on Wednesday. Benjamin Davis (8') and Poramet Arjvilai (59') scored in either half for Thailand as the hosts capitalised on the space and time that was afforded to them by India's defence. Davis, who featured for ASEAN All-Stars against Manchester United in a friendly last week, picked the top corner from inside the box, while Arjvilai saw goalkeeper Vishal Kaith slightly off his line and made no mistake with a shot that dipped perfectly. India gradually grew into the game and created chances of their own. Sunil Chhetri sliced through the Thailand defence with a perfect ball for Liston Colaco in first-half stoppage time, but the forward could not get past the goalkeeper from a one-to-one position. All through the game, Indian players got themselves into decent positions but lacked the finishing touch with Liston, Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan and Lallianzuala Chhangte all going close from inside the box. India now travel to Hong Kong on Thursday for their crucial AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 final round qualifier on June 10.
