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India Gazette
10-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Last-minute penalty breaks Indian hearts in Hong Kong
Kowloon [Hong Kong], June 10 (ANI): A heartbreaking stoppage time penalty condemned India to a 0-1 defeat against Hong Kong, China, in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round at the Kai Tak Stadium, on Tuesday. In front of a raucous crowd of 42,570 at the newly opened stadium, substitute Stefan Pereira struck from the spot in the 94th minute, leaving the Blue Tigers with just one point from two matches in Group C. Singapore defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in Dhaka in the other match of the group to climb to the top of the table. Hong Kong, with the same number of points, are second, with Bangladesh and India occupying third and fourth spots, respectively. The atmosphere in Kowloon was electric. The Kai Tak Stadium, hosting its first football match, was packed to the rafters with fans vocally backing the home side. Energised by the occasion, Hong Kong started with tempo, purpose, and aggression. Their movement was sharp, and they worked the ball out wide, trying to stretch India's defence. However, despite their energy and possession, they struggled with penetration in the final third. India's defence, marshalled by Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali, stood firm against repeated Hong Kong attacks, according to AIFF website. The hosts were forced into speculative long-range efforts, but India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith showed composure and positioning to deal with most attempts. On the rare occasions when Hong Kong slipped a ball through the defence, Kaith was quick off his line to smother the danger. India took time to grow into the match but found rhythm midway through the first half. Their approach was built on defensive discipline and counter-attacking bursts through the pace of Liston Colaco, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Ashique Kuruniyan. Brandon Fernandes operated effectively in midfield, distributing with intent and winning key duels. India's best chance of the first half came in the 35th minute. Fernandes pounced on a loose pass and released Colaco down the left. Colaco delivered an inch-perfect cross across the face of goal, and Kuruniyan met it with a well-timed run only to sky his effort, failing to trouble the goalkeeper. Six minutes later, Hong Kong threatened. A deep free-kick from Soares Junior Walter floated dangerously into the box, bypassing defenders and reaching Oliver Gerbig at the far post. His flicked attempt was met by a swift reaction from Kaith, who came off his line to block the shot before Anwar Ali cleared the danger. India began the second half with renewed aggression. Kuruniyan had another sight of goal just outside the box but was again unable to keep his shot down. To inject more quality in the final third, India head coach Manolo Marquez introduced Sunil Chhetri with a little over an hour to go. Chhetri made an immediate impact, dropping deep to facilitate link-up play and carving out half-chances for teammates. In the 82nd minute, Chhangte surged down the right and cut back a precise ball for Chhetri. The talismanic striker's shot was goal-bound, but a block from a Hong Kong defender denied him. Just as the match appeared destined for a second successive goalless draw for India, disaster struck. A long hopeful ball was floated toward India's box in injury time. Kaith charged out in an attempt to clear but mistimed his jump and collided with Hong Kong forward Michael Udebuluzor instead of punching the ball. Referee Sheikh Ahmad Alaeddin had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Kaith, for his efforts, was shown a yellow card. Substitute Stefan Pereira stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty into the bottom corner, sending Kaith the wrong way and the home crowd into euphoria. For India, it was a cruel end to a match where they had held their own for 90 minutes. The focus now shifts to their fixture against Singapore in October. (ANI)
RTHK
08-06-2025
- Sport
- RTHK
No water bottles for Kai Tak football match
No water bottles for Kai Tak football match The Hong Kong, China football team will make their debut at Kai Tak Stadium when they face India on Tuesday. Photo: RTHK No bottles or containers will be allowed at an upcoming international A-level football match featuring Hong Kong, China men's football squad, the Kai Tak Sports Park said on Sunday. The SAR team will face India in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round at 8pm on Tuesday, in the squad's debut at the new Kai Tak Stadium. The sports park said the arrangements for the match will be different from those of previous concerts due to security reasons. Water bottles or containers of any size, with our without lids, will not be allowed in the venue, it said, urging spectators to arrive earlier for security checks. Meanwhile, the Transport Department will also implement special traffic arrangements that day. The department said it had also asked public transport providers to boost services for when the match ends. Tuen Ma Line services will be enhanced during that time, and 10 special bus routes have been lined up to transport spectators to major districts. It called on football fans to take public transport and avoid driving to the stadium.
India Gazette
06-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Blue Tigers take lessons from Thailand result, set sights on Hong Kong
Pathum Thani [Thailand] June 6 (ANI): India's 0-2 loss against Thailand was somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow for the Blue Tigers at the Thammasat Stadium on Wednesday. The show, however, must go on. Regardless of the result against Thailand, the Blue Tigers now shift their focus to the task at hand in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Final Round Qualifier against Hong Kong, China, on June 10, according to the AIFF website. The senior India men's national team, who had travelled to Thailand with a 28-member squad, will now shift base to Hong Kong five days prior to their Asian qualifier with a 25-man squad, sans goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, centre-back Mehtab Singh, and full-back Subhasish Bose, who will travel back to India directly from Thailand. Bose was ruled out of the match against Thailand as well due to an injury. Looking back at the match against Thailand, India head coach Manolo Marquez stressed the importance of capitalising on the opportunities that the team creates. 'The reality is that when you don't score, especially the clear chances that we had, usually you lose the game,' said Marquez. 'Thailand have very good players, and if you don't take your chances against them, it will be difficult.' Five days to go for their Asian qualifier against Hong Kong, Marquez is now looking ahead to making last-minute adjustments before the Blue Tigers take the field. 'You can always perform better than you did previously. There is no improvement without self-criticism. I feel that we can obviously play better, but physicality is one aspect that we miss out on in Indian football. 'It was very similar in our match against Vietnam (1-1) last year. We had equalised because we scored from the chance that we got,' he said. 'We had more chances against Thailand, but if you don't score, the other team generally tend to score more than you.' Sandesh Jhingan, who captained the team against Thailand, echoed the coach's words and underlined the importance of introspection and analysing the areas of deficit. 'There were negatives, and it's now up to us to go back to the video room, watch the clips, and try to improve from there. The main game is against Hong Kong, and I think it's good that we got to play a quality team like Thailand before that. This game was a good exercise for us,' said Jhingan. The Blue Tigers will reached Hong Kong on Thursday, June 5, in the evening, and will begin training on Friday. (ANI)
United News of India
05-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Blue Tigers take lessons from Thailand result, set sights on Hong Kong
Pathum Thani (Thailand), June 5 (UNI) The 0-2 loss against Thailand was somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow for the senior India men's national team at the Thammasat Stadium here on Wednesday. The show, however, must go on. Regardless of the result against Thailand, the Blue Tigers now shift their focus to the task at hand in their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Final Round Qualifier against Hong Kong, China, on June 10. The senior India men's national team, who had travelled to Thailand with a 28-member squad, will now shift base to Hong Kong five days prior to their Asian qualifier with a 25-man squad, sans goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, centre-back Mehtab Singh, and full-back Subhasish Bose, who will travel back to India directly from Thailand. Bose was ruled out of the match against Thailand as well due to an injury. Looking back at the match against Thailand, India head coach Manolo Marquez stressed the importance of capitalising on the opportunities that the team creates. 'The reality is that when you don't score, especially the clear chances that we had, usually you lose the game,' said Marquez. 'Thailand have very good players, and if you don't take your chances against them, it will be difficult.' Five days to go for their Asian qualifier against Hong Kong, Marquez is now looking ahead to making last-minute adjustments before the Blue Tigers take the field. 'You can always perform better than you did previously. There is no improvement without self-criticism. I feel that we can obviously play better, but physicality is one aspect that we miss out on in Indian football," he said. 'It was very similar in our match against Vietnam (1-1) last year. We had equalised because we scored from the chance that we got,' he said. 'We had more chances against Thailand, but if you don't score, the other team generally tend to score more than you.' Sandesh Jhingan, who captained the team against Thailand, echoed the coach's words and underlined the importance of introspection and analysing the areas of deficit. 'There were negatives, and it's now up to us to go back to the video room, watch the clips, and try to improve from there. The main game is against Hong Kong, and I think it's good that we got to play a quality team like Thailand before that. This game was a good exercise for us,' said Jhingan. The Blue Tigers will reach Hong Kong on Thursday evening, and begin training on Friday. UNI BM
Hans India
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Capellas resigns as Phillippines head coach, Cuadrat appointed on interim bases
Albert Capellas has resigned as head coach of the Philippines citing personal reasons ahead of the Southeast Asian nation's AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers against Tajikistan on June 10. Capellas, who took over from Tom Saintfiet in September and led the Philippines to the semi-finals of the ASEAN Football Federation Championship three months later, will be replaced on an interim basis by his assistant coach, Carles Cuadrat. Cuadrat's most recent job was at the helm of East Bengal, where he won the 2023 Indian Super Cup. He is also an Indian Super League winner from his time with Bengaluru FC. "My wonderful journey as head coach of the Philippines has come to an end, and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have been part of it, especially the players and all the staff involved," said Capellas. "Together, we have enjoyed an inspiring journey and have proven that Filipino football has a promising generation of young players with the potential to bring great pride and success to the country." The Philippines won their opening game in Group A of the third round of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 when Capellas led his side to a comfortable 4-1 victory over the Maldives in March. Timor-Leste also features in the group. The country is attempting to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup Finals for the second time after making its debut in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. "We are grateful for Capellas' service, and wish him well," said Philippines team manager Freddie Gonzalez. "We move on and keep pushing forward. "Albert left us with a blueprint to follow, and we thank him for bringing Carles on board, enabling him to be the interim head coach and provide continuity for what Albert has started."
