Hong Kong punish India with injury-time penalty

Coach Ashley Westwood knows something about India’s football team that most others don’t.
Formerly with Bengaluru FC, where he won a major trophy in each of his three seasons, in the three games that he fielded national teams against India, Westwood drew one and has ended up winning the other two. After the win with Afghanistan in March last year, which ended India’s chances of direct qualification to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and led to the sacking of coach Igor Stimac, on Tuesday, Westwood guided Hong Kong to a crucial win over Manolo Marquez’s India.
Playing at the Kai Tak Stadium which attracted a capacity 50,000 crowd for its opening game, Westwood’s men needed a stoppage-time penalty to dismantle India 1-0, a result that throws the visitors’ AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign into jeopardy.
For 90 minutes, India appeared to have done enough to return home with a point. But Stefan Pereira’s 95th-minute penalty took Hong Kong to the top of the table while India remained rooted to the bottom. In both games, home and away, India failed to score, never mind the chances that fell at several players’ feet.
Only the group winners qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. For a side that hasn’t scored in 180 minutes and embarrassingly missed chances from handshaking distance, it will be tough crawling out of what has seemed like a long, dark tunnel.
The penalty came after Vishal Kaith rushed out of his position and fouled Michael Udebuluzor in the second minute of added time.
“Highly disappointed,” captain Sandesh Jhingan said after the loss.
Coach Marquez threw a surprise with his lineup, opting to start with pacy wingers, while leaving the two recognised strikers – Sunil Chhetri and Edmund Lalrindika – on the bench. There was only one problem with the strategy, a familiar one: lack of finishing.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the 35th minute when Brandon Fernandes dispossessed Leon Jones and laid it for Liston Colaco, who ran into the space down the left wing and played a delicious ball for Ashique Kuruniyan. A goal was there for the taking, but Ashique tried to push the ball inside the net with the outside of his left foot, only to turn it wide with the goal at his mercy.
Liston and Chhangte, both cleverly picked up inside the box by Chhetri, also could not give finishing touches in the second half. While Liston skied his effort, Chhangte was thwarted by the keeper who dived at his feet.
At the other end, Hong Kong, who fielded eight naturalised players – three born in Brazil, others in Spain, France, Scotland, Nigeria and Cameroon – had chances of their own but were denied by the centre-back pairing of Anwar Ali and Jhingan. Asish Rai hastily cleared Oliver Gerbig’s attempt from close to the goalline.
Just when it seemed like points would be split, there was disaster at the back. India conceded a penalty from a regulation long ball played inside the box as Kaith clattered into Udebuluzor.
Hong Kong’s Brazilian-born forward, Stefan stepped up and converted.
“There will be a dark mood back home, but there are four more games, we will never give up,” added Jhingan.