India, Nov. 15 -- One win in eight matches. The 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in Christchurch meant that in his first full year in charge of the Indian men's football team, Khalid Jamil has lost all but the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong. Anything else would have been a surprise, because seven of those matches were against higher-ranked teams and four were away from home.

Five of those seven, including the one on Sunday, were against opponents who were part of the 2026 World Cup.

Jamil and his men have spoken of using these never-before opportunities as a learning experience. To that end, India leaking two goals from corner kicks would worry him because his team has generally defended set pieces well. But India did ta...