IND vs HKG: What happened the last time India played in Kochi?

The Indian men’s football team will get one last chance to register a win in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign when they play Hong Kong at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Tuesday.

Indian head coach Khalid Jamil has made 14 changes to the squad from the previous match against Bangladesh – a clear line in the sand that the tactician is building the project from the ground up.

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Hong Kong took a narrow 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture in Kowloon last year after conceding a last-minute penalty, which was calmly converted by Stefan Pereira.

Before the match, India are last in the group with two points from five matches, behind Bangladesh (5), Hong Kong (8) and Singapore (11).

What happened the last time India played in Kochi, Kerala?

India last played in Kochi on March 29, 2016, in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan.

Sandesh Jhingan put the home side ahead after heading in Narayan Das’ free-kick just minutes after Turkmenistan captain Amanov Arslan missed from the spot at the other end.

However, Arslan made up for the missed penalty in the second half, heading in Durdiyev Didar’s cross before substitute Atayev Serdarali scored the winner from close range.

The Indian men’s team has played eight competitive matches in Kerala and won none (2 draws, 6 losses).

Published on March 31, 2026