India beat Hong Kong in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers to enter the finals as group leader

Anwar Ali in the 2nd minute, Sunil Chhetri in the 45th minute, Manvir Singh in the 85th minute, and Ishan Pandita in the third minute of the extended time were the goalscorers for India, while none of the players from Hong Kong was able to score.

Igor Stimac fielded a strong playing eleven instead of experimenting with inexperienced players in their lineup. India started aggressively and took a 1-0 leas Anwar Ali slotted the ball into the net just two minutes into the game. India tried to build on the momentum and build up the pressure, while Hong Kong created some chances to level the score but failed to convert. Sunil Chetri doubled the lead for India just before the half-time after receiving a pass from Jeakson Singh. The first half ended with Hong trailing 2-0.

The Indian side maintained control of the game as Hong Kong tried to score to get back into the game, however, the Indian defense held firm. Manvir Singh further increased the lead for India with just five minutes left on the clock, while Ishan Pandita added another in the third minute of the extended time to make it 4-0 for India.

The home side added to the previous two AFC Asian Cup Qualifier matches won by India, increasing the winning streak of the Indian squad to 3-0. In the first match, India won against Cambodia 2-0 and defeated Afghanistan 2-1 with a late goal. India was in much better form than the previous two matches as they looked to push forward with brilliant forward passes.

Hong Kong and India secured a spot in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup even before the match began today. As Palestine defeated the Philippines, one of the five-second spots was reserved for the squad that finished at the second spot in Group D.