Singapore, Oct 9 (UNI) It was Rahim Ali’s moment to shine, and shine he did. The young forward’s 90th-minute strike, his first for the senior Indian team, rescued a hard-fought 1-1 draw for the Blue Tigers against Singapore in an enthralling AFC Asian Cup 2027 third round qualifier at the National Stadium here today.
Singapore had looked in command for much of the contest, with Ikhsan Fandi breaking the deadlock in first-half stoppage time after persistent pressure on India’s defence. The Lions dominated possession and looked poised to extend their lead, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s heroics between the sticks kept India within reach.
The challenge intensified for India shortly after the break when defender Sandesh Jhingan was shown a second yellow card in the 47th minute, reducing the visitors to 10 men. Yet, with steely determination and clever substitutions, India kept pressing. It was Rahim Ali, introduced late, whose clinical finish capitalised on a lapse in the Singapore defence to earn a valuable point.
India captain Sunil Chhetri praised his team’s resolve, saying, “Mathematically, we still have a chance to qualify. We have three games left, and we are taking one game at a time.”
Singapore captain Harris Harun rued the late concession: “We dominated for most of the game, and we should have stepped up more after India went down to 10 men.”
With the draw, India must win all remaining fixtures and hope for favorable results elsewhere to stay in the hunt for an Asian Cup berth, while Singapore remains atop the group. The two sides will clash again in five days.
