India, led by Sunil Chhetri, will try to finish the Asian Cup Qualifiers on a high when they meet Hong Kong in a battle for first place in Group D on Tuesday. Both teams have six points after two wins, but Jon Anderson’s side has a goal difference advantage over the hosts, and the match will determine the direct qualifiers for next year’s 24-team continental finals. Only the winners of the six qualifying groups will be guaranteed a spot in the tournament, where the five runners-up will join them with the best overall records. The Blue Tigers would enter the finals for the unprecedented second time in a row, and fifth overall, if they finished first in their group.
Hong Kong, on the other side, is hoping to qualify for the Asia Cup for the first time since 1968. Although India (106) is ranked higher than Hong Kong (147), the latter has shown the greatest attacking and defensive skills among the four group D teams thus far. India has limped along whereas Hong Kong has handily demolished its respective opponents. After a shaky performance against Cambodia, in which Chhetri scored twice, Abdul Sahal Samad scored an injury-time winner to secure three points. Sahal sealed three points as Chhetri’s 86th-minute free-kick was canceled two minutes later by Zubayr Amiri’s header.
Notably, even if one of the two teams loses or draws, they can still finish in the top five second-placed teams. With a second-place finish, they’d have to wait for results from other groups to see if they’d get one of the five best runners-up slots. In terms of the team, the Blue Tigers have been working hard, with Chhetri leading the way with three goals in the first two games.
Hung Fai Yapp, Festus Baise, Andy Russell, Kwok Fai Sham, Chak Ting Fung, Chun Lok Tan, Chun Pong Leung, Kin Pong Kwok, Wai Lim Lee, Alex Tayo Akande, Ming Him Sun
