Indian national team head coach Khalid Jamil praised his players’ character and resilience after the Blue Tigers fought back with ten men to secure a hard-fought draw against Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Thursday.

India entered the match desperate for three points, having been at the bottom of Group C after the opening two rounds. However, Jamil’s side struggled to reproduce their spirited performances from the CAFA Nations Cup, as hosts Singapore looked more confident in possession. The home team broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time through Ikhsan Fandi to head into the break with a slender lead.

Report: Singapore 1-1 India

India’s task became even harder early in the second half when Sandesh Jhingan received his marching orders after a second yellow card. Despite being a man down, the Blue Tigers stayed compact and disciplined in defence to prevent further damage. Substitute Rahim Ali then capitalised on a defensive error late in the game to score his first senior international goal and rescue a crucial point for Jamil’s men.

“Talking about the game, I want to give all credit to the boys. They worked very hard. Because of them, we got the result,” Jamil said at the post-match press conference.

“It is important to get a point after going down to ten players. We must continue with this confidence,” he added.

Rahim Ali, what a time to score your first international goal 🇮🇳👏#SGPIND #BlueTigers #ACQ2027 #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/tRJXthQgWu

— FanCode (@FanCode) October 9, 2025

The confidence India showcased at the CAFA Nations Cup was initially lacking against Singapore. After being reduced to ten men, their attacking intent faded, but the defence line led by Rahul Bheke and Anwar Ali held strong to keep the team in the contest.

“In the second half, we played better after going down to ten men,” said the head coach.

The Blue Tigers now sit third in the standings with two points, while Hong Kong climbed to the top of the table with seven points following their thrilling 4-3 win over Bangladesh later on Thursday.

India now must win all of their remaining three fixtures and hope for favourable results elsewhere to keep their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification hopes alive.

However, Jamil’s men will be without experienced defender Jhingan when they host the Lions in Goa. The coach also admitted that the next opponents will be hungrier after dropping two points at home, stressing the need for his side to be fully prepared to secure the crucial three points next week.

“They (Singapore) are energetic. They’re a good team. They know they lost two points at home, so they will now be more prepared, and so for us at our home, we must also be well prepared to get a positive result,” said Jamil.