Prior to their AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against Bangladesh, India plays the Maldives.
In Wednesday’s international friendly between India and Maldives, which serves as a practice for the crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at the same location in less than a week, the return of Sunil Chhetri will be the center of attention. Earlier this month, the 40-year-old Chhetri returned out of his international retirement to assist the side in advancing through the qualifying stages for the top football competition on the continent, which begin with the match on March 25. The Blue Tigers will play in the football-crazy hill town for the first time, making the pregame game for Manolo Marquez’s team a historic occasion.Additionally, it will be Chhetri’s first game after declaring his comeback to international football, making him India’s all-time top scorer.
“We are playing here for the first time, but I have worked with a lot of coaches and players from here,” Marquez stated during Tuesday’s pregame press conference. I was aware that it was a lovely location.
“I remember when I watched the Durand Cup in Shillong last year, I said, ‘Wow, the ground, crowd, atmosphere, everything is nice.’ I’m serious when I say that it would be fantastic if the national team could play here someday. Defender Mehtab Singh concurred with the Spaniard.”It feels great to be in Shillong,” Mehtab said. Our national team will be playing here for the first time. The football fan base in the northeast is well-known. The most popular sport here is football. Indian football benefits greatly from the expansion of the game into new areas. A week away is Marquez’s first competitive game since taking over as head coach of India in July 2024, and the friendly offers him a fantastic chance to hone his squad ahead of the pivotal contest.
However, the Indian squad is yet to triumph under Marquez, as they ended the season in Hyderabad with a 1-1 draw with Malaysia.”This friendly match serves as a warm-up for the Asian Cup qualifying match. We obviously want to prevail. During the previous FIFA windows, we were aware that the goal was to get to the first competitive encounter against Bangladesh next Tuesday in the best possible shape.
“I doubt that we would use the same squad to play Bangladesh as we do tomorrow. Of course, you can’t alter all eleven. On Tuesday, some will do it again. I have faith in every one of my players. Both the game and the preparation for Bangladesh must be excellent. Marquez also confirmed Chhetri’s involvement in the friendly match that will mark his 152nd cap for India.
