On October 9, 2025, Singapore will face India in the third round of the Asian Cup qualification group stage, Group C. The match is set to start at 13:30 Central European Time. Here’s a look at both teams’ chances going into the game.
Singapore
Singapore’s national team holds the 159th position in the FIFA rankings and is typically seen as a mid-tier team in Asia. They have struggled to achieve consistent results internationally. In the World Cup qualifiers, Singapore finished last in their group with only one point and a goal difference of 5-24. In the AFF Championship, they were knocked out in the semifinals by Vietnam.
However, Singapore has shown more confidence in the current Asian Cup qualifying campaign. They remain unbeaten, starting with a 0-0 draw against Hong Kong, followed by a 2-1 victory over Bangladesh. After two matches, Singapore leads their group with four points. Before resuming qualifiers, they played two friendlies—losing to Malaysia and drawing with Myanmar.
Singapore and India have not faced each other in an official match for over 20 years. Their last encounters were friendlies in 2012 and 2022. Singapore won one of those matches, while the other ended in a draw.
India
The Indian national team has also faced difficulties on the international stage. In their last 20 matches, they secured only two wins, including friendlies. They failed to advance in the World Cup qualifiers, finishing last in their group. Their performance in the Asian Cup qualifying has not been encouraging either, with a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh and a 0-1 loss to Hong Kong, placing them at the bottom of the group after two matches.
India’s performance in the FACA Nations Cup was better, as they advanced from the group stage and won against Oman in a penalty shootout for the bronze medal.
Historically, matches between India and Singapore have been closely contested. They have met six times, with India winning twice, Singapore three times, and one match ending in a draw. Most of these encounters had fewer than 2.5 goals scored.
Probable lineups
- Singapore: Mahbud, Emavive, Baharudin, Bin Azmi, R. Stewart, Syahin, Harun, Shahrin, H. Stewart, Bin Fandi Ahmad, Song.
- India: Singh Sandhu, Yuwais, Ali, Bheke, Valpuya, Prabhu, Farukh, Partap, Singh, Chhangte, Yadwad.
Key facts and head-to-heads
- Singapore are unbeaten in 4 of their last 5 matches.
- Both teams have scored in 4 of Singapore’s last 5 games.
- Four of Singapore’s last five home matches saw under 2.5 goals.
- India have not won 18 of their last 20 matches.
- Four of India’s last five away games ended with under 2.5 goals.
- Singapore are unbeaten in their last three matches with India.
- The last four head-to-heads finished with under 2.5 goals.
Singapore vs India match prediction
This will be an intriguing match. India has been inconsistent for some time, and Singapore has also faced challenges with stability. However, Singapore appears more confident in this qualifying cycle and currently tops the group, while India is at the bottom. Their limited official match history suggests that these encounters are often tight and low scoring. A cautious game focused on defense seems probable. I predict there will be under 3 goals in this match.