Marquez targets perfect start to Asian Cup Qualifiers in Shillong

Shillong: The India senior men’s team will begin their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers final round campaign against Bangladesh at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Tuesday.

The other two teams in Group A, Singapore and Hong Kong, will also face each other on Tuesday. As only the group winners qualify for the final tournament in Saudi Arabia, the margin for error is low, with Manolo Marquez labelling the qualifiers as ‘six finals’.

“The first game is always important. It’s a short competition, only the top team qualifies for the tournament,” said Marquez at the pre-match press conference on Monday.

“There are six games and we need to finish first. We want to get the maximum points possible to qualify for Saudi Arabia.”

In preparation for the all-important qualifier, India played a friendly against Maldives last Wednesday, winning it comprehensively by 3-0, as Marquez got his first victory as the national team head coach. Rahul Bheke, Liston Colaco, and Sunil Chhetri, who marked his return to the national team with his 95th international strike.

Commenting on having Chhetri back in the team and scoring again, Marquez said, “Sunil is a legend in Indian football and the top-scorer of the season. We had problems scoring in my first few games, but not in creating chances though. I think he’s a great addition for us.”

Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who accompanied Marquez in the press conference, added, “We’re always expecting him to score goals. He’s got 95 of them. We’re happy to have him back. With the quality he has, he’s a threat to every team, not just Bangladesh.

“One thing we know is that whenever India play Bangladesh, we expect a match full of high intensity, passion and adrenaline, be it in football or any sport. We’re focussed on getting our result. If you’re well prepared, you can beat any team, and if not, any team can beat you. We go into every game with a positive attitude,” the 31-year-old added.

Despite the wide gap between India (126) and Bangladesh (185) in the FIFA Rankings, Marquez stated that the rank is not indicative of the team’s qualities, and the inclusion of midfielder Hamza Choudhury will add to the Bengal Tigers’ strength. IANS

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