Ashley westwood

AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia: India were drawn against Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangladesh in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers final round. The draw, which saw 24 teams divided into six groups of four, was held at the AFC House here on Monday.

Only the six group winners will qualify and join the 18 teams who have already punched their tickets to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 after the second round of qualifying. The Qualifiers final round will be contested over six match days in a home-and-away format between March 25, 2025 and March 31, 2026. India, aiming to qualify for three successive Asian Cups for the first time in their history, will begin their campaign at home against Bangladesh.

India have faced all three opponents in the recent past. The Blue Tigers last faced Bangladesh in 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.