Destroyed Indian football! Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia slams Kalyan Chaubey after latest debacle
&w=752&h=564&format=webp&quality=medium "Destroyed Indian football! Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia slams Kalyan Chaubey after latest debacle")
Destroyed Indian football! Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia slams Kalyan Chaubey after latest debacle Photograph: (AFP)
Indian football saw another low on Tuesday (June 10) as they lost 1-0 to Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualification.
Indian football saw another low on Tuesday (June 10) as they lost 1-0 to Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualification. The defeat has seen India set a new low as they now face a tough task to even book their place in the continental showpiece. In the aftermath of the defeat, the blame game has started to take place with former captain Bhaichung Bhutia slamming All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Kalyan Chaubey, claiming he has destroyed Indian football.
Bhaichung Bhutia slams Kalyan Chaubey
"It's very painful to see we're now struggling to even qualify for the Asia Cup, which we had been regularly making it to," Bhutia told PTI, his frustration mirroring that of fans across the country.
"Countries like Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Jordan have qualified for the World Cup, and we're still battling for a place in the Asia Cup. It's very unfortunate," he added, pointing to India's stagnation in comparison to their Asian peers.
Playing at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, India conceded a 94th minute winner, meaning the Blue Tigers sit bottom of the table. After failing to qualify for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, India have now gone winless in the two qualifying matches, raising question marks on the quality of football in the nation.
After a stale 90 minutes at the newly constructed Kai Tak Stadium, it was a 94th minute penalty that settled the contest. A late penalty converted by Stefan Pereira decided the match after Indian goalkeeper Vishal Kaith fouled Hong Kong’s Michael Udebuluzor in the box.
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The defeat leaves more questions than answers for the Indian football, who now sit bottom of the standings in the Asian Cup qualification.
At the time of writing, India have lost one and drawn one and have the same number of points as Bangladesh. With each team set to play six matches in the qualification phase, India’s qualification will be in jeopardy if they fail to win in their upcoming matches.
The Indian team recently lost to Afghanistan in a World Cup qualifier match, which ended their path to the 2026 tournament. That was followed by a draw against Bangladesh, who now have football stars like Hamza Choudhury.
