Despite having a population of 1.4 billion, India struggles to play good football, drawing with Hong Kong and Singapore in the Asian qualifiers, earning only 2 points from 3 matches.

With a population of 1.4 billion, Indian football has yet to shine. In the recently concluded Asian Cup qualifiers, India managed a valuable 1-1 away draw against Singapore. After three rounds in Group C, India has only secured 2 points: a 0-0 home draw with Bangladesh, a 0-1 away loss to Hong Kong, and a 1-1 away draw with Singapore. Their chances of advancing have become very uncertain.

The Asian Cup qualifiers are divided into 6 groups, with only the group winners advancing to the main tournament. In Group C, India holds the highest ranking at 134th internationally, followed by Hong Kong at 146th, Singapore at 158th, and Bangladesh at 184th. However, India has only earned 2 points from the first three matches. If Hong Kong manages to win their ongoing away match against Bangladesh, India's chances of qualifying will diminish significantly...

It seems Indian football is still behind China’s. Both are populous superpowers, yet neither excels in football. This shows that having a large population doesn’t guarantee football success; supportive football policies, especially youth development programs, are essential. Hopefully, both India and China can learn from Japan’s football model by focusing on youth training and school football to achieve the dream of becoming strong football nations soon.