India signed off their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Hong Kong at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday, registering their first-ever victory at the venue.
Goals from debutant Ryan Williams and left-back Akash Mishra in either half ensured the Blue Tigers ended their Group C campaign with five points (one win, two draws, three losses). Singapore topped the group with 14 points to secure qualification for the Asian Cup.
Head coach Khalid Jamil handed Williams his much-awaited debut, while Bijoy Varghese also earned his first international cap late in the game.
India made a dream start, taking the lead in just the fourth minute. A swift move down the right flank saw Abhishek Singh Tekcham release Manvir Singh, who squared the ball for Williams to tap home. The goal also made Williams the fastest debut scorer for India, surpassing previous sixth-minute strikes by K Appalaraju (1963) and Mehtab Hossain (2005).
Buoyed by the early breakthrough, India controlled possession and dictated the tempo, with Lallianzuala Chhangte and Manvir Singh creating openings, while the defence remained compact to keep Hong Kong at bay.
The hosts doubled their advantage early in the second half when Akash Mishra reacted quickest inside the box to fire in from a tight angle following a long throw, marking his first international goal.
Hong Kong responded just after the hour mark, as Everton Camargo timed his run perfectly to finish past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and pull one back, setting up a nervy finish.
India continued to threaten on the counter, with substitute Ashique Kuruniyan adding energy in attack and testing the goalkeeper on multiple occasions. At the other end, Gurpreet made crucial saves to deny Hong Kong’s late attempts, including efforts from Jason Kam and Ng Yu Hei.
Debutant Bijoy Varghese produced a vital sliding tackle in stoppage time to deny a clear chance, ensuring India held on for a deserved win in front of a 22,690-strong crowd.