Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers: Bangladesh Rise to Third; India Struggle With Two Draws, Three Losses

The Indian and Bangladesh teams played an exciting match in the Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027 on Tuesday. In the final Group C match, India lost 1-0 to Bangladesh. With this, another unwanted record was added to the Indian team's campaign. On the other hand, Bangladesh, ranked 183rd, created its place in the golden pages of history by defeating the 136th-ranked Indian team. This was Bangladesh's first victory against India in 22 years. Both teams were already out of the qualification race, so it was all about salvaging honor in the match in Dhaka, which the Indian team failed to do.

The opening goal for Bangladesh was scored by Sheikh Morsalin. He scored in the 11th minute amid loud cheers from the packed National Stadium, giving Bangladesh a 1-0 lead. India also had a great opportunity to equalize in the 31st minute when Lallianzuala Chhangte found space on the edge of the box after goalkeeper Mitul Marma was caught out in the wrong position. However, Hamza Choudhary made a crucial header clearance to prevent a goal.

The match also witnessed some controversy during halftime. It is reported that players from both teams scuffled near the touchline. However, the match referee intervened quickly to prevent the situation from escalating. Both Indian and Bangladeshi players were seen to be quite angry during the exchange of fire.

India's hopes of qualifying were dashed on October 14th, when they squandered a 1-0 lead in a 2-1 loss to Singapore in Margao. Since then, the team has struggled to find its rhythm. With two draws and three losses in five matches, India remains winless at this stage of the competition. Ranked 136th in the FIFA rankings, India will look to salvage honor in their qualifier against Hong Kong on March 31, 2026.

The win lifted Bangladesh to third place with five points from five matches. This result was also India's first match on Bangladeshi soil in 22 years. The previous encounter in Dhaka was in the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, where the hosts emerged victorious.