Looking forward to the international friendly match against Vietnam on October 12, the Indian team arrived in Nam Dinh on October 7.
23 players under the guidance of coach Manolo Marquez had their first training session that evening. Feelings, first experiences in Nam Dinh, the Indian team shared on the homepage of the national football federation (AIFF).
“I like it here. But we don’t have much time to travel. The Indian team is fully focused on the match against Vietnam. We are here to try to win on October 12,” the Indian coach shared.
The Indian team that will compete in Vietnam consists entirely of players who play in domestic tournaments. Rahul Bheke is the oldest player in the squad. He is 34 years old. However, the Indian squad is still very young, with most of the players born after 1999. In particular, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was appointed captain. The youngest player in the Indian squad this time is midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte, currently 21 years old.
The Indian team still has 8 players who faced Vietnam 2 years ago. They are goalkeeper Sandhu; defenders Chinglensana Konsham, Naorem Roshan, Anwar Ali; midfielders Brandon Fernandes, Jaekson Thounaojam, and two strikers Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap.
Some prominent players are no longer present, such as striker Sunil Chhetri (retired), Udanta Singh Kumam, midfielder Anirudh Thapa or defender Sandesh Jhingan.
Speaking about the squad, Marquez said: “The players were called because we think they are the best team to play against Vietnam. Obviously, physically, we are much better than before the season. The Vietnamese team is in a similar situation to the Indian team. They have also played four or five matches in the national championship. So I think the team that wins will prove that they are stronger than the other team, at least within the scope of the upcoming match.”
The match between Vietnam and India will take place at 6:00 p.m. on October 12 at Thien Truong Stadium. Tickets to watch this match are priced at 300,000, 200,000, and 100,000 VND/ticket.
