India has been assigned to Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh. The drawing, which took place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, divided 24 teams into six groups of four. Only the group winners will progress, joining the 18 teams that have already secured their spots in the tournament after the second round of qualifiers. The Final Round is set to be held from March 25, 2025, to March 31, 2026, consisting of six matchdays in a home-and-away format.
India, which aims to qualify for its third consecutive Asian Cup, will begin its campaign at home against Bangladesh, as per the official announcement. The Blue Tigers have already faced all three teams—Bangladesh during the 2021 SAFF Championship, Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022, and Singapore in the Hung Thinh Friendly Tournament in Vietnam in September 2022.
According to the November FIFA Rankings, India is ranked 127th, Hong Kong 156th, Singapore 161st, and Bangladesh 185th. Following the draw, India head coach Manolo Marquez commented, “We are a Pot 1 team and we need to show why we are the favourites to qualify. There aren’t many differences between the groups. Each group poses challenges. Hong Kong has greatly improved with naturalised players and their coach Ashley Westwood, whom India encountered in the World Cup Qualifiers (while he was managing Afghanistan). We will face Bangladesh first in March, who have consistently been our opponents in the SAFF Championship. We understand the schedule. We have six matches and we must finish atop the group and qualify for the Asian Cup. ”
India’s schedule for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round:
– March 25, 2025: India vs Bangladesh (home)
– June 10, 2025: Hong Kong vs India (away)
– October 9, 2025: India vs Singapore (home)
– October 14, 2025: Singapore vs India (away)
– November 18, 2025: Bangladesh vs India (away)
– March 31, 2026: India vs Hong Kong (home)
AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round Complete Draw:
– Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste
– Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam
– Group C: India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh
– Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka
– Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan
– Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos
