Stefan scores 94th minute winner for Hong Kong at newly-opened Kai Tak stadium
Kowloon: India suffered a 0-1 defeat against against Hong Kong, China in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round at the Kai Tak Stadium, on Tuesday.
Substitute Stefan Pereira struck from the spot in the 94th minute in front of a raucous crowd of 42,570 at the newly opened stadium, leaving the Blue Tigers with just one point from two matches in Group C.
Meanwhile, Singapore defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in Dhaka in the other match of the group to climb to the top of the table. Hong Kong, with the same number of points, are second, with India and Bangladesh occupying third and fourth spots, respectively.
The Kai Tak Stadium, hosting its first major match, was packed to the rafters with fans vocally backing the home side. Hong Kong started with tempo, purpose, and aggression. Their movement was sharp, and they worked the ball out wide, trying to stretch India’s defence. India’s defence, marshalled by veterans Sandesh Jhingan and youngster Anwar Ali, stood firm against repeated Hong Kong attacks. The hosts were forced into speculative long-range efforts, but India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith showed composure and positioning to deal with most attempts. On the rare occasions when Hong Kong slipped a ball through the defence, Kaith was quick off his line to smother
the danger.
India took time to grow into the match but found rhythm midway through the first half. Their approach was built on defensive discipline and counter-attacking bursts through the pace of Liston Colaco, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Ashique Kuruniyan. Brandon Fernandes operated effectively in midfield, distributing with intent and winning key duels.
India’s best chance of the first half came in the 35th minute. Fernandes pounced on a loose pass and released Colaco down the left. Colaco delivered an inch-perfect cross across the face of goal, and Kuruniyan met it
with a well-timed run only to sky his effort, failing to trouble the goalkeeper.
To inject more quality in the final third, India head coach Manolo Márquez introduced Sunil Chhetri with a little over an hour to go.
Chhetri made an immediate impact, dropping deep to facilitate link-up play and carving out half-chances for teammates. In the 82nd minute, Chhangte surged down the right and cut back a precise ball for Chhetri. The talismanic striker’s shot was goal-bound, but a block from a Hong Kong defender denied him.
Just as the match appeared destined for a second successive goalless draw for India, disaster struck. A long hopeful ball was floated toward India’s box in injury time. Kaith charged out in an attempt to clear but mistimed his jump and collided with Hong Kong forward Michael Udebuluzor instead of punching the ball. Referee Alaeddin, had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Substitute Pereira Stefan stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty into the bottom corner, sending Kaith the wrong way.
For India, it was a cruel end to a match where they had held their own for 90 minutes. The focus now shifts to their fixture against Singapore
