India stays alive in race for Asian Cup; Rahim's late equaliser holds Singapore to 1-1 draw

Kallang [Singapore], October 9 (ANI): India scraped its way to a 1-1 draw courtesy of Rahim Ali's 90th-minute equaliser against Singapore during the Group C encounter in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, at the National Stadium on Thursday.

After holding Singapore to a 1-1 draw despite being reduced to 10 men, India moved to the third spot in the standings with two points. Meanwhile, despite dropping points, Singapore remained at the summit with five points.

To secure a spot in the Asian Cup, the Blue Tigers must win their remaining three games and hope that the other three teams drop points simultaneously. Late goals in either half decided the contest as both sides shared spoils.

Singapore's Ikhsan Fandi caused plenty of trouble for India's defence since kick-off. In the 19th minute, he latched onto a through ball and found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The Indian captain stood tall and denied Fandi from finding the net. Moments later, the referee raised the flag to deem Fandi offside.

India received another blow after Sandesh Jhingan, playing with a back mask on his face, went into the book after receiving a yellow card for a raised boot challenge on Fandi in the 20th minute. India made a tactical switch, shifting from a 4-4-1-1 formation to possibly a 4-2-2-2 formation. Despite the change in tactics, Singapore continued to dictate the flow of the game while knocking on India's door.

The hosts were eventually rewarded for their hard work in the last minutes of the opening half. With a swift build-up, Hariss Harun set up Shawal Anuarin in the box. With a diagonal run, Anuarin linked up with Fandi, who sent the ball past Gurpreet to break the deadlock.

Two minutes into the second half, India's woes mounted after Jhingan received a red while trying to take the ball from Fandi. However, he failed to make contact with the ball and caught Fandi. The referee went to his pocket and showed the second yellow to deliver the marching orders to Jhingan.

Down to 10 men, India relentlessly hunted for an equaliser. Head coach Khalid Jamil introduced Abdul Samad and Deepak Tangri in place of Macarton Louis, Nickson, and Nikhil Prabhu. The match-defining moment unfolded in the 72nd minute, with Gurpreet making a double save to keep India alive in the nervy contest.

India attempted to repel Singapore's bombardment as the game drew to a dramatic conclusion. India levelled against the run of play. Courtesy of Rahim's late pressure, Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud lost the ball, allowing the Indian to slot the ball into the empty net. His late equaliser kept India alive in the race for the Asian Cup. (ANI)

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