Sandesh Jhingan has his focus set on securing a positive result against Hong Kong in their high-stakes AFC Asian Cup qualifier game on Tuesday.

The Blue Tigers are training at the Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground under the watchful eyes of Manolo Marquez and will face Hong Kong at the newly constructed Kai Tak Stadium on Monday.

India suffered a 0-2 defeat against Thailand in a recent friendly at the Thammasat Stadium. Moreover, Marquez's men, who played a goalless draw against Bangladesh in the opening match, will seek their first victory to get back on winning ways in the qualifying round.

Jhingan highlighted the significance of training with their utmost intensity and unwavering spirit to get back in shape ahead of the vital tie. The veteran defender urged his teammates to stick together and secure a much-needed win, overcoming recent hardships.

“When we arrived (in Hong Kong) just after the Thailand game, the focus for the team was on recovery. However, the main focus since we assembled for the camp in Kolkata (on May 18) has always been to get the maximum points against Hong Kong,” Jhingan said to the-AIFF.com.

“It’s all about preparing ourselves in the training sessions leading up to the game so we can arrive at the match in the best way possible, both physically and mentally, and try to get maximum points," he continued.

India has been enduring a rough patch; having won a single game in their last seven outings under Marquez. The Blue Tigers have scored only five goals and conceded seven goals. They have struggled in finding the back of the net in four matches under Marquez's guidance.

Jhingan stressed the importance of improving their performance both defensively and offensively ahead of the crucial tie against Hong Kong.

“We need to be more decisive and clinical inside the boxes at both ends,” Jhingan opined.

“First and foremost, we need to be more solid at the back. If the defense is good, we will have more chances going forward. And the other part, of course, is that we need to be more clinical in attack. There were both positives and negatives from that (Thailand) game, and we will analyze and build on them," he continued.

India secured a thumping 4-0 victory against Hong Kong in Kolkata in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers. However, Jhingan didn't want to dwell on past records; rather, he anticipated a challenging game against a much-improved Hong Kong side.

“In football, you cannot ever rest on the laurels of the past. I remember we played them (in 2022), and we won 4-0, but that’s a thing of the past now,” Jhingan remarked.

“We know how good a side they are and how important this game is, and that’s that," he concluded.