Indian football team is looking to qualify for their third AFC Asian Cup tournament in a row.
Manolo Marquez’s Indian football team are coming fresh off a 2-0 defeat to Thailand in a friendly encounter last week. The Blue Tigers had a total of 18 shots, but the majority of them were off target, as Benjamin Davis and Poramet Arjvirai put the game to bed for the hosts.
Indian football team’s next challenge will come against a resolute Hong Kong side, currently managed by former Bengaluru FC head coach Ashley Westwood. The Englishman has a good record against the Blue Tigers, having picked up a win and a draw against them while managing Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
Both nations drew their opening group games in the Round Three – AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, and hence their upcoming game will be important. Playing at the Kai Tak Stadium in Kowloon, Hong Kong will have home advantage.
However, the Indian football team now has some added incentive that should further motivate the Boys in Blue before the upcoming match.
Cash bonus of $50,000 for the Indian football team
Indian football team’s game against Hong Kong is crucial in their hopes of qualifying for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. With all four teams locked on one point, Manolo Marquez’s side needs to take all three points in Kowloon in order to establish early dominance in their group.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) understands the importance of winning the upcoming game. Hence, the football body has now announced a cash bonus for the Indian football team before they take to the field on Tuesday.
As per Khel Now’s sources, the AIFF Executive Committee has made the decision and announced a cash bonus of $50,000 for the Indian football team if they defeat Hong Kong in the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier. The sum amounts close to 43 lakh in Indian rupees, and it will be divided among the entire squad that will be facing the Dragons. The team have already been informed about the same.
The Hong Kong national football team is well prepared as they have recently played friendlies against Manchester United and Nepal. Currently ranked 153rd by FIFA, the Dragons have lost just once in their last ten games.
Indian players claim they are yet to be given their bonus from 2023
Several Indian football team players are yet to receive their long-pending dues dated to mid-2023. These dues include unpaid match fees, daily allowances, and bonus amounts from the side’s three trophy-winning campaigns.
The Indian football team players, while avoiding public confrontation, had collectively reached out to the AIFF via email on May 26, 2025, raising concerns about delayed payments during their time under Igor Stimac. The AIFF’s deputy secretary general, Mr. M Satyanarayan, in response, claimed there was no official record of outstanding payments.
Mr. Satyanarayan further attributed that in some instances, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) handles daily allowances, adding that the federation had forwarded the players’ bank details to the SAI and followed up accordingly. The players, however, countered that no such payments had reflected in their accounts.
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