Will Sunil Chhetri play in AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers match vs Singapore? Head coach Khalid Jamil provides update
India's record goalscorer Sunil Chhetri returned to the national side after a four-month break and is in the national camp for the first time under head coach Khalid Jamil.
New Delhi: The Indian national football team will play their two most important matches in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore in the next few days. The Blue Tigers' qualification hopes got a major setback after they managed to clinch just one point in the first two games.
They will fly to Kallang in the Singapore National Stadium to play their third match of the campaign on 9th October 2025, while the Fatorda Stadium in Goa will host India's home leg fixture against Singapore on 14th October 2025.
The Blue Tigers are yet to score a single goal in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier campaign and are coming after a 1-0 loss against Hong Kong. They are currently positioned at the bottom of Group C along with Bangladesh, and need two wins against Singapore to keep their qualification chances alive.
All eyes will be on captain Sunil Chhetri, who is India’s record goalscorer and returns to the national side after a four-month break.
He came out of retirement to lead the Blue Tigers through the qualifiers, but has struggled to make an impact in the campaign, having gone nearly two years without a goal from open play.
India is still struggling to find a consistent goalscoring successor, but the 41-year-old still remains the country’s biggest hope in front of goal.
Will Sunil Chhetri play against Singapore?
India’s head coach Khalid Jamil excluded Chhetri from his first national camp, before the CAFA Nations Cup, a tournament where the Blue Tigers finished in the third position, defeating higher-ranked teams like Oman and Tajikistan.
He has been training with the national side since September 29 after being released by Bengaluru FC, and has also travelled with the Blue Tigers to Singapore for the crucial fixture.
On the eve of the match, head coach Khalid Jamil confirmed that Chhetri is set for a full outing in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier match.
"He is available, and he’s fit. Definitely, he will play for 90 minutes," Jamil said.
The match will start at 5 PM (IST) and the live-streaming will be available on the FanCode app and website.