Singapore, Oct 9: A 10-man India capitalised on a defensive blunder from Singapore at the fag end of play to escape with 1-1 draw and keep their Asian Cup football qualification hopes afloat here on Thursday.
India conceded a goal scored by Ikhsan Fandi in the first minute of the first half’s stoppage time to find themselves in the backfoot in the Group C match.
But Rahim Ali equalised in the 90th minute after Singapore’s Jordan Emaviwe gifted a goal by committing a horrible blunder.
Khalid Jamil’s team, which arrived here with just around a week’s time of training together, played the whole of second half with 10 men as key defender Sandesh Jhingan was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 47th minute.
Jhingan was playing with a black face mask as he had recovered from a cheek bone fracture during the CAFA Nations Cup last month, which needed surgery.
India now have two points from three matches after a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh and 0-1 loss to Hong Kong in their earlier match.
They are still in a difficult position in their bid to qualify for the main tournament in 2027.
Only the top team in the group makes the cut for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. All the four teams in the group with play six matches altogether in home and away format.
Singapore, who have secured five points after the draw on Thursday, had only themselves to blame for the blunder they committed at the end of the match which allowed India to get away with a point.
Singapore dominated the match all through with more than 60 per cent possession and kept the Indian defence busy with quick, accurate passing, and a lot of attacking moves.
India did not have a clear chance for the whole 90 minutes and would have lost the match had Singapore’s Jordan Emaviwe not sent a long backpass inexplicably from near the centre line in the 90th minute.
Substitute Rahim Ali pounced on the opportunity as the Singapore defence was caught off guard.
Ali was then one-on-one with goalie Izwan Mahbud who rushed out and kicked the ball on to the Indian attacker.
The ball was still on Ali’s feet and he had all the time in the world to send it to the open net.
Singapore would yet have sealed the match had they also not squandered a couple of chances after India were reduced to 10 men.
But Singapore paid the price for not going for the kill and committing the mistake.
Singapore’s goal came in the first half’s stoppage time. A Singaporean defender sent a long pass into the Indian box and defenders Anwar Ali and Muhammed Uvais showed hesitation to go for the ball, leaving it for Fandi to control it nicely before slotting home.
Two minutes after resumption, Chinese referee Shen Yinhao showed Jhingan a second yellow card and then the red to leave India with 10 men.
The two sides meet again on October 14 in Margao, Goa, in their return-leg match.
In the end, India’s night in Singapore turned into a tale of grit, fortune, and sheer survival. Reduced to 10 men early in the second half, Khalid Jamil’s side were clearly second-best for most parts of the encounter — chasing shadows, defending deep, and living dangerously against a superior Singapore outfit that seemed destined for three points.
Yet, football often has a way of rewarding persistence, even when skill falls short.
Rahim Ali’s late equaliser, born out of a defensive lapse, may not have been the most glamorous of goals, but it spoke volumes about India’s never-say-die attitude and their ability to seize the slightest of openings. It was a moment that turned despair into relief and kept their flickering Asian Cup qualification hopes alive. For Jamil and his men, the draw will serve as both a wake-up call and a lifeline — a reminder that fortune favours those who fight till the final whistle.
As they prepare to host Singapore in Goa on October 14, India will need more cohesion, sharper execution, and above all, belief that this hard-earned point could yet become the foundation of something greater in their quest for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. (PTI)
