Blue Tigers beat Hong Kong 2-1 to end Qualifiers campaign
India defeated Hong Kong 2-1 in Kochi, with debutant Ryan Williams and Akash Mishra scoring in either half. The win ended India’s wait for victory at the venue as they finished their AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign on a positive note
Hyderabad: India ended their wait for a win in Kochi, edging past Hong Kong 2-1 to close the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Group C campaign on a high at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday.
Early strikes from debutant Ryan Williams and left-back Akash Mishra in either half ensured the Blue Tigers secured their first win of the qualifying campaign. India finished with five points — one win, two draws and three losses. Singapore topped the group with 14 points to seal qualification for the Asian Cup.
Head Coach Khalid Jamil handed a much-awaited debut to Ryan Williams, while Bijoy Varghese also made his first India appearance off the bench.
India made a perfect start, with Ryan Williams scoring in the fourth minute. A swift move down the right flank saw Abhishek Singh Tekcham release Manvir Singh, who squared the ball for Williams to tap it in past the goalkeeper.
It was the fastest goal scored by a debutant for India, surpassing sixth-minute strikes by K Appalaraju against Ceylon in 1963 and Mehtab Hossain against Nepal in the 2005 SAFF Cup.
India looked confident after taking the lead, enjoying possession and dictating the tempo. Manvir Singh delivered a searching cross towards Lallianzuala Chhangte, but a Hong Kong defender cleared the danger.
The Indian defence denied Hong Kong space, surrounding attackers quickly and staying organised. India looked sharp on counter-attacks, with Williams, Manvir and Chhangte combining well, though Hong Kong’s Shinichi Chan blocked a shot to concede a corner.
Apuia came close to doubling the lead in the 25th minute, but his effort drifted wide. Hong Kong tried to build patiently, but India held firm to go into the break 1-0 ahead.
The Blue Tigers began the second half brightly. Rahul Bheke’s long throw was not cleared, and Akash Mishra reacted quickest, firing in his first international goal from a tight angle to make it 2-0.
Hong Kong pulled one back just after the hour mark when Braunshtain Barak set up Everton Camargo, who finished past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Liston Colaco tested the goalkeeper soon after, while injuries forced Khalid Jamil to replace Ryan Williams and Anwar Ali with Ashique Kuruniyan and Jeakson Singh Thounaojam. Ashique added energy, creating multiple chances but was denied by the defence.
Hong Kong substitutes Jason Kam and Ng Yu Hei tested Gurpreet, but the India captain made crucial saves. Bijoy Varghese made his debut late on and produced a vital tackle in stoppage time.
India held on to their one-goal lead to secure a hard-fought victory in front of 22,690 fans in Kochi.
