Bangladesh joins India, Hong Kong, and Singapore in Group ‘C’ of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
The third round of the qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup will see Bangladesh face India, alongside groupmates Hong Kong and Singapore. The draw was held on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Based on the latest FIFA rankings, Bangladesh was placed in Pot 4 for the draw.
Among the four teams in Group ‘C,’ Bangladesh is the lowest-ranked at 185th in FIFA rankings. India leads the group as the highest-ranked team at 137th, while Hong Kong (156th) and Singapore (161st) also sit above Bangladesh. Despite India’s dominance in head-to-head records, Bangladesh has fond memories of their last encounter—a 1-1 draw in the 2021 SAFF Championship.
India and Hong Kong both participated in the 2023 Asian Cup but were eliminated in the group stage.
The qualifiers will feature 24 teams divided into six groups, playing home-and-away matches. The third round is set to begin in March 2025.
Group Draws for the Third Round:
Group A: Tajikistan, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste
Group B: Lebanon, Yemen, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam
Group C: India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangladesh
Group D: Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka
Group E: Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan
Group F: Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Laos
