India's hopes for qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup have been dashed following a 2-1 defeat to Singapore at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Tuesday. Despite an initial promising performance and an early lead, the Blue Tigers were unable to maintain their advantage, ultimately succumbing to a determined Singapore side.

The match began brightly for India, with Lallianzuala Chhangte scoring a stunning goal in the 14th minute. The Mumbai City FC winger unleashed a powerful left-footed strike from outside the box that soared past the Singapore goalkeeper, sending the home crowd into raptures. This early goal reflected India's dominance in the first half-hour, with the team pressing high and creating several opportunities.

However, India failed to capitalize on their early momentum. Sunil Chhetri, Mahesh Singh, and Liston Colaco all came close to extending India's lead, but their attempts were thwarted by poor finishing and a lack of composure in front of goal. This profligacy would prove costly, as Singapore gradually clawed their way back into the game.

Just before halftime, Singapore found an equalizer. A clever pass from Ikhsan Fandi found Song Ui-young, who calmly slotted the ball past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, leveling the score at 1-1. This goal shifted the momentum of the match, and Singapore emerged a more confident side after the restart.

In the 58th minute, Singapore took the lead. A swift counter-attack saw Ikhsan Fandi release Shawal Anuar, who then squared the ball to Song for his second goal of the night. Song's precise finish from a tight angle put Singapore ahead, leaving India with a mountain to climb.

Desperate to salvage their qualification hopes, India's coach, Khalid Jamil, made several attacking substitutions, bringing on Rahim Ali and Udanta Singh. However, despite creating a few half-chances, India were unable to find the back of the net. Their best opportunity came in the final minute of regulation time, but Brandon Fernandes failed to convert from close range.

The defeat leaves India with only two points from four matches, effectively ending their chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. Even if India win their remaining matches, their maximum points tally will not be enough to overtake Singapore or Hong Kong, who are both already on eight points.

The loss is a bitter disappointment for India, who had qualified for the Asian Cup in 1964, 1984, 2011, 2019 and 2023. India's best performance in the continental competition was finishing as runners-up in 1964. After a bright start to the game against Singapore, India's failure to convert their chances and defensive lapses ultimately led to their exit from the Asian Cup race.