India vs Hong Kong LIVE score, AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers: IND 2-1 HKG; Akash Mishra, Ryan Williams score

Local boy Bijoy Varghese is handed a debut as he replaces Chhangte.

Gurpreet dives to his left to paw NG Yu Hei’s shot away. India is entering familiar territory when tired legs make way for defensive lapses, which more often than not, leak goals. Can the Blue Tigers hold on?

Ashique once again in the thick of things. Liston with a slick feint to send a Hong Kong sliding away, as the Goan sets up the Malayali at the edge of the box. The BFC winger ran onto it and went first time but a block sent it away from a throw.

Goalscorer Akash is brought off for Roshan Singh. Meanwhile, a few seconds before this change, Hong Kong came agonisingly close to equalising but the cross from the right couldn’t be turned into India’s goal.

Camargo whips in a cross and substitute Jason Kam gets his head on to it. With a thumping flick, it’s on target but thankfully for the Indian dugout, it’s straight at the gloves of Gurpreet.

A break for both sides after a few minutes of clashes and injuries. India will hope for another goal to shoo away all nerves, while Hong Kong will throw the kitchen sink to at least get a draw out of this.

The Bengaluru FC winger seems to made a promise to himself that he’ll score a long-range banger in front of his home fans. He once again shoots with this laces as the ball bounces past the upright.

It’s Ashique with the shot again. Jeakson runs at the box, passes it to Manvir at the edge, who lays it off for the local lad. Ashique then tries to side-foot it but a deflection takes it behind for a corner.

Perhaps with his first few touches, Ashique tries his luck from distance. Audacious, but he does get it on target. He has taken up that void left by Williams in the No. 10 role.

Anwar Ali seems to have pulled up, and Jamil makes two changes. Ashique Kuruniyan and Jeakson Singh come on for Williams and Anwar.

Williams gingerly walks off the field as the physio signals a change to the dugout. That must be the match for the debutant, and this doesn’t come at the best of times for India when the host just conceded.

Seconds away, Liston tries to curl it from distance, a bit of knuckleball swerve on that, but it’s past the upright.

What was that!? Everton Camargo halves the deficit and the match has come alive! A through ball was sent, in search of Camargo. Jhingan was there, sliding in, but so was Gurpreet. The goalie came off his line and the Hong Kong forward easily passed it past the onrushing ‘keeper.

Liston Colaco tees up a free-kick from some distance, far enough for doubters to come alive but close enough for the Goan to thump it into the net. He’s on target as the ball curls to the left but the Hong Kong ‘keeper follows it and stops the hurling sphere.

Hong Kong’s Leung Nok Hang is down, clutching his right thigh. He hobbles off the field with the physios as play continues.

India must have not left Hong Kong’s half since the goal. It’s been a few minutes now and Abhishek Tekcham is pinging in crosses from the right flank, with Bheke launching long throws from the left.

GOALL! Akash Mishra thumps the ball into the corner from a tight angle! It’s Rahul ‘Bhekenbauer’ Bheke with the long throw and after the ball bounced off of a few heads, it fell in front of Akash, who went first time. The ball rushed into the top left corner to double India’s lead.

Oliver Benjamin is taken off, Luis Eduardo comes on.

Hong Kong gets the ball rolling in this half with India leading by a goal.

The talking point from the first half presented itself in the first five minutes in the form of debutant Ryan Williams. The Bengaluru FC forward announced himself in India’s national colours with elan, after tapping in a Manvir Singh pass in the fourth minute. From then on, India displayed an attacking brand of football, which frankly, quite unknown to what Khalid Jamil is usually associated with, which is defensive solidity. That being said, Jamil and Co. did maintain their defensive shape and barely allowed Hong Kong attacks to enter their box. And if they did, skipper Gurpreet came off his line to collect the ball. It remains to be seen whether Jamil changes personnel after the break, but for now, India leads Hong Kong in Kochi. See you on the other side.

Manuel Bleda is shown a yellow card after bringing down Liston Colaco.

A few more minutes before the lemon break at the JLN Stadium in Kochi.

India with the ball again, just a few minutes from half-time now. Khalid Jamil will want his boys to see the half out now and not concede a goal at the dying minutes of the first 45.

The trailing team has the ball now, and it’s Hong Kong’s phase in the first half. It’s not as swift as India’s attacks, but more about slowly passing it around and sending in crosses from the flanks.

Him with a delightful turn to beat his Indian marker and he goes for the headlines, but he gets underneath that shot and sends the ball into the stands.

The Blue Tigers resume the pressure on the red shirts right after the short break. But the ball isn’t allowed to enter the box this time around.

Apuia brings Bleda down, with a tug of the shirt, and referee gives a free-kick to Hong Kong. Shinichi with the delivery, and he gives it straight to an Indian player, who clears it away. Drinks to follow as both teams take a breather.

Apuia, who has a few bangers in his list, tries to recreate one of them with a sighter from distance. But it whistles past the upright. Once again, this was resultant of another counter-attack which saw Williams combine with Manvir down the left flank this time.

Anwar Ali seems to have committed a foul there, trying to stop the Hong Kong player to pounce on the loose ball there but the referee doesn’t budge. At the other end, Chhangte gets the ball deep in enemy territory, and gets a shot away through a sea of legs. But the ball bounces in front of ‘keeper Pong Cheuk Hei, who collects it.

The visitor is showing glimpses of promise, flashes of attack. A through ball, on this occasion, penetrating the Indian defence in search of a forward but captain Gurpreet is quick to come off his line and collect the ball.

Hong Kong’s Bleda receives the ball in the middle but four to five blue shirts quickly surround him, denying him any space. Seconds later, India is on the attack. Williams passes it to Manvir on the right, and he flicks it to Chhangte on the first touch. The Mumbai City winger then lets a shot fly but a Hong Kong defender does well to block it. A corner for India.

About 65 per cent of the ball is being kept by India, and it’s showing. And Manvir wins a free-kick. Good position for a ball to be whipped in. Chhangte curls it into the six-yard box but it’s a tad bit far from Jhingan’s bobbing head.

The fans at the JLN Stadium are making sure they are heard. Chants of ‘India, India’ boom around, with ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ sprinkled around when a Liston Colaco does a nutmeg, or when the ball is won back.

Fearless play from Khalid Jamil’s men so far. Confidence seems to be oozing, especially after that goal. Manvir there with a searching cross-field pass, towards Chhangte, but a Hong Kong defender clears the lines. India hogging the ball for now, passing it around with surety.

A dream debut for the midfielder! Ryan Williams, the newly-minted Indian after he gave up the Australian passport, has got on the scoresheet in just four minutes! And speaking about the move itself, a swift transition down the right flank, as a pass released Manvir Singh. The Mohun Bagan forward then gave it on a plate for Williams, who just had to tap it in to rattle the net.

Anwar Ali has been deployed in the midfield alongside Apuia. And Bheke and Jhingan occupy the centre-back positions with Mishra and Abhishek running down the flanks.

It’s Chhangte who gets the ball rolling, with India attacking from left to right. And a huge roar booms around the JLN Stadium.

Wonder what Gurpreet Singh Sandhu told his men in that huddle. Just seconds away now.

Ryan Williams seems to be singing the national anthem! Quick work from the ‘latest signing’ in the Indian team!

Neeladri, our person on the ground, sends an update:

“The Manjappada has filled up almost the entire east stand. They have also unfurled the tricolour. There are drumbeats ringing around the stadium, along with roars. Though the turnout is lukewarm, given Kerala’s reputation, the fans that are here are ensuring that there is no stone left unturned to give the Indian team all the support it needs.”

Well, not exactly new but Ryan Williams has been waiting for quite a bit of time to get his first start. And today, he gets that

Neeladri Bhattacharjee also sat down with the former Australian midfielder for a lengthy chat. Read it here

Fans are trickling in. Looks to be decently occupied, at least much more than during Kerala Blasters’ fixtures in the Indian Super League.

Our reporter Neeladri sends a picture less than half an hour before kickoff.

WhatsApp Image 2026-03-31 at 18.34.51.jpeg

In terms of the head-to-head record between the two sides, it’s even-stevens. Both sides have clinched nine wins each.

Out of the 25 meetings, seven have ended in draws. Can one of the teams get its nose slightly ahead at the end of the 26th meeting?

Our reporter on the ground, Neeladri Bhattacharjee, wrote an extensive preview to this match, commenting on what this clash could mean for Khalid Jamil, and also the Hong Kong side.

Read the preview here.

Pong Cheuk Hei (gk), Jojo Alexander, Oliver Benjamin Gerbig, Tan Chun Lok (C), Manuel Bleda, Wong Wai, Everton Camargo, Leung Nok Hang, Chan Shinichi, Braunshtain Barak, Sun Ming Him

India: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (c) (gk), Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Apuia, Manvir Singh, Ryan Williams, Abhishek Tekcham, Liston Colaco

I’ll be honest, I can’t really make out what Khalid Jamil is going for here. In the defence, it looks like a traditional back-four with Bheke and Mishra being the full-backs. But the line-up also has Abhishek, who’s a full-back himself at the club level. Perhaps he’ll don a more forward role in India colours. As for the forward, one of Manvir or Liston could be the No. 9, unless Jamil opts for a fluid front three with Chhangte also expected to be there. Williams could be a No. 10? We shall see in less than an hour.

India last played in Kochi on March 29, 2016, in a FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifier match against Turkmenistan, which ended in a 1-2 loss for the host.

Sandesh Jhingan was the goalscorer for the Indian side.

Sugam ano? The Indian men’s football team is back in action as it takes on Hong Kong, China in their final AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers match, and the action will unfold at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala. Stay tuned as we bring you all the updates from the match!

Click here to read article