India vs Hong Kong: Preview and Prediction
The Indian Football Team will be crossing swords with Group D leaders Hong Kong in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata at 08:30 PM IST. The Blue Tigers require a draw to qualify for the continental extravaganza consecutively for the first time in history.
India has six points from two matches with a goal difference of +3 in the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. They have found the back of the net four times in the competition while conceding only one goal so far.
Hong Kong, on the other hand, has a goal difference of +4 and has the same number of matches as India from the two games. Unlike India, Hong Kong scored five goals in the competition and let only one goal go past them.
The winner of the match between India and Hong Kong will qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup as group winners directly, but with five best runners-up also making their way to the showpiece event, the losing side could also qualify.
Current Form
Dominating possession, India beat Cambodia 2-0 to kickstart their 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifying with a win. Sunil Chhetri converted his penalty in the 14th minute while nodding the ball home from a Brandon Fernandes cross in the 60th minute to complete his brace for the Blue Tigers.
Chhetri broke the deadlock in the 86th minute from a free-kick off the edge of the box before Afghanistan equalised two minutes later through Zubayr Amiri’s header off a corner kick. Just when it seemed the two teams would share the spoils, Sahal Abdul Samad bundled the ball into the net to send the 40000+ strong Kolkata crowd into euphoria and win the tie 2-1 for India.
Hong Kong started their 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifying third-round campaign with a 2-1 win over Afghanistan courtesy of Wong Wai and Matt Orr’s strikes from outside the box in the first thirty minutes. Farshad Noor pulled one back for Afghanistan in the 81st minute but it proved to be a mere consolation.
Hong Kong went all out against Cambodia in their second tie and came out as 3-0 winners. Matt Orr and Sun Ming Him found the net in the first half while Chan Siu Kwan scored a goal after the change of ends.
Head to Head Record
India and Hong Kong have squared off against each other 15 times in the past, with the former gaining the upper hand on seven occasions. Four out of the remaining eight encounters ended in a draw while Hong Kong emerged victorious in the other four matches.
The first meeting between the two sides took place in the 1958 Asian Games at Tokyo where India beat Hong Kong 5-2. Rahmatullah bagged a brace while Chuni Goswami, Tulsidas Balaram, and D Damodaran scored the other three goals for the Blue Tigers.
The last time the two teams crossed horns with each other, Hong Kong won the tie 1-0 at an international friendly match way back in October 2010 in Pune.
Team News
A lot of responsibilities lay on the shoulders of Sahal Abdul Samad in the coming fixture
India’s head coach Igor Stimac hinted in the post-match press conference that Sunil Chhetri might be rested for the contest as the team needs to look out for other alternatives after his retirement. In that case, Manvir Singh could be slotted in the centre while Sahal Abdul Samad could make his way into the midfield.
Hong Kong would be eager to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1968. They are expected to maintain the same starting line-up that beat Cambodia.
Predicted Starting Lineups
India (4-5-1): Gurpreet Singh Sandhu; Akash Mishra, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Naorem Roshan Singh; Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashique Kuruniyan, Suresh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Liston Colaco; Manvir Singh
Hong Kong (4-4-2): Yapp Hung Fui; Sean Tse, Law Tsz Chan, Wong Tsz Ho, Yu Wai Lim, Huang Yang, Ju Yingzhi, Yue Tze Nam, Wai Wong; Matt Orr, Sun Ming Him
Prediction
Scoring goals would be tough for India if Sunil Chhetri doesn’t take to the pitch. India’s defence hasn’t been tested much but that could change against Hong Kong, who is fluid in the midfield. We expect Hong Kong to win the encounter 1-0.
