India have a history of elevating their performances in the qualifiers in a bid to secure AFC Asian Cup qualification.

The Indian senior men’s national team is preparing for a pivotal away clash against Hong Kong in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign on Tuesday.

After a frustrating 0-0 draw with Bangladesh in their opener and a 2-0 loss to Thailand in a recent friendly, the Blue Tigers head into Matchday 2 with momentum slipping away. Still, history offers hope. India has often shown a knack for delivering when the stakes are high in Asian Cup qualifiers—something they’ll be eager to channel this time around.

Under head coach Manolo Marquez, the team will look to regroup, rediscover their rhythm, and get their qualification bid back on track.

As anticipation builds, we take a look back at some of India’s finest moments on the road to the continent’s biggest stage.

India 4-0 Yemen Arab Republic – 1984 Asian Cup Qualifiers, October 1984

Chasing only their second-ever qualification to the AFC Asian Cup, India kicked off their 1984 campaign in emphatic fashion. Taking on the Yemen Arab Republic in their opening fixture in Calcutta (now Kolkata), the Blue Tigers delivered a commanding performance in front of a home crowd.

They registered a thumping 4-0 win in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and notably had four different goal scorers: Prasanta Banerjee, Krishanu Dey, Babu Mani, and Shabbir Ali. This win still remains one of the finest in Indian football history. This win rejuvenated their momentum as they went on to beat Malaysia (2-1) and Pakistan (2-0) in the next two matches to secure qualification with a game in hand against South Korea, which they narrowly lost 1-0.

India 4-1 Tajikistan - 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Final, 13 August 2008

India, under Bob Houghton, made it to the final unbeaten in the group stage, and a 1-0 win over Myanmar set up a final clash against Tajikistan. India put forward one of their finest performances in the Challenge Cup final in 2008 at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.

Sunil Chhetri capped off a brilliant hat-trick in the final, which was also his first international hat-trick, while Bhaichung Bhutia scored the other. The Blue Tigers not only pulled off a stunning win but also secured a slot in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup group stages as they ended their 27-year exile from the competition.

Myanmar 0-1 India – Third Round qualification, 28 March 2017

The pressure was high this time after India missed out on the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The Blue Tigers went to Myanmar with the added pressure of not winning away in Myanmar since October 1953.

The game was evenly poised, but Stephen Constantine’s men ran away with the three points, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Sunil Chhetri. Udanta Singh passed the ball to Chhetri, who applied a cool finish to win the game. The victory meant India broke the 64-year jinx to beat Myanmar in Myanmar.

India 4-1 Macau – Third Round qualification, 11 October 2017

A win was crucial in Bengaluru to seal qualification, and despite heavy rain at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, the fans rallied behind the Indian team, which came into the match on the back of a three-game winning streak. Following victory over Myanmar, the Blue Tigers also secured wins against Kyrgyzstan (1-0) and Macau (2-0).

India took the lead through Rowllin Borges, but the visitors managed to equalise before halftime. However, the in-form Indian side dominated the second half, scoring three more goals—by Sunil Chhetri, an own goal, and Jeje Lalpekhlua—to secure a commanding victory, clinch qualification with two games to spare, and book their return to Asia’s premier football tournament.

Afghanistan 1-2 India - Third Round qualification, 11 June 2022

Another memorable night in Kolkata as a stoppage-time winner from Sahal Abdul Samad boosted India’s qualification to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The third round of the qualification was played out in a centralised venue, and a Sunil Chhetri brace against Cambodia put India in the driving seat after the opening game. However, the Blue Tigers faced difficulties finding the back of the net in the following game against Afghanistan, as it took them 86 minutes to break the deadlock, with Chhetri scoring a brilliant free-kick. But Afghanistan pulled the equaliser within two minutes. Then came the moment of magic — substitute Sahal Abdul Samad produced a moment of brilliance with an immediate impact, scoring off the bench.

The Blue Tigers capped off the qualification round with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Hong Kong in the following game. With three wins on the trot, they eventually secured back-to-back qualifications for the Asian Cup.