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United News of India
10-06-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
India suffered narrow defeat to Hong Kong in Asian Cup Qualifiers
Kowloon (Hong Kong), June 10 (UNI) The Indian national football team fell to a 1-0 defeat against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at Kai Tak Stadium here on Tuesday. A stoppage-time penalty from Stefan Pereira secured all three points for the hosts. India's head coach Manolo Marquez made three changes to the starting lineup from the previous friendly against Thailand. Suresh Singh Wangjam came in for Ayush Dev Chhetri in central midfield, while Brandon Fernandes and Lallianzuala Chhangte replaced Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh, respectively. Ashique Kuruniyan was deployed up front. With both teams having dropped points in their opening fixtures, they approached the game with urgency and attacking intent. The early stages saw end-to-end action, but neither side could carve out a clear-cut chance. In the 25th minute, Hong Kong's Raphael Lee tested Vishal Kaith with a long-range effort, but the Indian goalkeeper stood firm. Liston Colaco responded with a strike from distance at the other end, which the opposition keeper comfortably collected. Anwar Ali made a crucial intervention around the half-hour mark, timing his tackle perfectly at the edge of the box to deny a dangerous Hong Kong move. Had he missed, it could have spelled trouble for the Blue Tigers — and him. India's best chance of the half came in the 35th minute when Brandon Fernandes won possession near the halfway line. He released Liston Colaco, who threaded a sharp through-ball to Ashique. However, the forward couldn't keep his shot on target from close range. Hong Kong came close just before the break when Juninho attempted a quick free-kick to catch India off guard, but the Indian defence reacted well to avert the threat. The teams headed into half-time with the score still goalless. Five minutes into the second half, Ashique had another opportunity, but his half-turn shot went wide. In the 57th minute, Ashique, who appeared to be in some discomfort, was replaced by Sunil Chhetri, while Naorem Mahesh Singh came on for Brandon Fernandes. A few minutes later, Wangjam lost the ball in a dangerous area, allowing Manuel Rodriguez a chance on goal, but his effort was tipped over the bar by Kaith for a corner. In the 80th minute, Mahesh and Chhetri combined well, with the latter playing a through ball to Liston Colaco, who fired his effort wide. Moments later, Lallianzuala Chhangte made a driving run and set up Chhetri, whose attempt was blocked for a corner by Leon Jones. The decisive moment came in the first minute of added time when Kaith conceded a penalty. Pereira stepped up, and his shot clipped the inside of the post before rolling into the net — his strike ultimately sealing the win for Hong Kong. This result left the Blue Tigers with one point from two matches, while Hong Kong climbed to four. UNI BM BD
United News of India
30-05-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Indian men's national Football team reaches Thailand for friendly match
Pathum Thani (Thailand), May 30 (UNI) The Indian men's national team will play a friendly match against Thailand on June 4 ahead of the crucial AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match versus Hong Kong on June 10. After completing the Kolkata leg of their training camp, the Indian team landed in Thailand on Thursday. This is the third time the Indian senior men's team have visited the Land of Smiles in the past six years. India previously participated in the 2019 and 2023 King's Cup, winning the bronze medal in the former after beating Thailand 1-0, which was the last meeting between these two sides. While the King's Cups were held in Buriram and Chiang Mai, respectively, the upcoming friendly will take place at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, a venue the Blue Tigers have never played in before. However, the Blue Colts have — as recently as 2023 in the AFC U17 Asian Cup. India drew 1-1 with Vietnam and lost 0-1 against Uzbekistan at the Thammasat Stadium. Midfielder Brandon Fernandes, who made his India debut at the 2019 King's Cup in Buriram against Curaçao, is up for the challenge in Pathum Thani. He also spent the last pre-season with his club Mumbai City FC in Thailand, so it's safe to say, he is quite familiar with the country, its weather, and playing conditions. "It's always different when you play away from home. We are familiar with Thailand because we played the King's Cup here. This one's going to be a different game — an international friendly. There will be more fans supporting the home team, and it's a challenge for us. We have to be ready for it and go there with a mindset to win the game," the 30-year-old said. Team India's hotel is situated in the heart of Pathum Thani, approximately 50 kilometres north of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Pathum Thani, one of Thailand's 76 provinces and part of the Bangkok metropolitan area, is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The Thammasat Stadium, part of the Thammasat University campus, was built for the 1998 Asian Games. The Indian women's team also played two matches in the group stage of that Asiad. Right now, the Blue Tigers' primary aim is to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027, and Fernandes feels that the preparations for the Hong Kong game are on the right track. "Everybody is looking fit after the camp in Kolkata. We also had a couple of practice games. We are in much better shape as we head into the Thailand leg of the camp. We'll have a few more training sessions here, and we'll be ready for the game. "Thailand will be a perfect challenge for us in order to prepare for the Hong Kong game. We have to put our best foot forward and look for a positive result. Everybody has put in the work, those hard yards, and yes — with the way we train and are putting in the shifts, I think we will get a good result," Fernandes said. UNI BM
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Preparing for perfect challenges, Blue Tigers caravan reaches Thailand for friendly game
Pathum Thani [Thailand], May 29 (ANI): After completing the Kolkata leg of their training camp, the Indian men's national football team landed in Thailand just past midnight on Thursday. The Blue Tigers will play a friendly match against the hosts on June 4 ahead of the crucial Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match versus Hong Kong on June 10. This is the third time the Indian senior men's team have visited the Land of Smiles in the past six years. India previously participated in the 2019 and 2023 King's Cup, winning the bronze medal in the former after beating Thailand 1-0, which was the last meeting between these two sides, as per an All India Football Federation (AIFF) press release. While the King's Cups were held in Buriram and Chiang Mai, respectively, the upcoming friendly will take place at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, a venue the Blue Tigers have never played in before. However, the Blue Colts have -- as recently as 2023 in the AFC U17 Asian Cup. India drew 1-1 with Vietnam and lost 0-1 against Uzbekistan at the Thammasat Stadium. Midfielder Brandon Fernandes, who made his India debut at the 2019 King's Cup in Buriram against Curacao, is up for the challenge in Pathum Thani. He also spent the last pre-season with his club Mumbai City FC in Thailand, so it is safe to say, he is quite familiar with the country, its weather, and playing conditions. 'It is always different when you play away from home. We are familiar with Thailand because we played the King's Cup here. This one is going to be a different game -- an international friendly. There will be more fans supporting the home team, and it's a challenge for us. We have to be ready for it and go there with a mindset to win the game,' the 30-year-old told Team India's hotel is situated in the heart of Pathum Thani, approximately 50 kilometres north of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Pathum Thani, one of Thailand's 76 provinces and part of the Bangkok metropolitan area, is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The Thammasat Stadium, part of the Thammasat University campus, was built for the 1998 Asian Games. The Indian women's team also played two matches in the group stage of the Asiad Games. Right now, the Blue Tigers' primary aim is to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027, and Fernandes feels that the preparations for the Hong Kong game are on the right track. 'Everybody is looking fit after the camp in Kolkata. We also had a couple of practice games. We are in much better shape as we head into the Thailand leg of the camp. We'll have a few more training sessions here, and we will be ready for the game.' 'Thailand will be a perfect challenge for us in order to prepare for the Hong Kong game. We have to put our best foot forward and look for a positive result. Everybody has put in the work, those hard yards, and yes -- with the way we train and are putting in the shifts, I think we will get a good result,' Fernandes said. (ANI)
Hans India
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Preparing for perfect challenges, Indian men's football team reaches Thailand
Pathum Thani (Thailand): After completing the Kolkata leg of their training camp, the Indian men's national team landed in Thailand just past midnight on Thursday. The Blue Tigers will play a friendly match against the hosts on June 4 ahead of the crucial AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match against Hong Kong on June 10. This is the third time the Indian senior men's team has visited the Land of Smiles in the past six years. India previously participated in the 2019 and 2023 King's Cup, winning the bronze medal in the former after beating Thailand 1-0, which was the last meeting between these two sides. While the King's Cups were held in Buriram and Chiang Mai respectively, the upcoming friendly will take place at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, a venue the Blue Tigers have never played in before. However, the Blue Colts have — as recently as 2023 in the AFC U17 Asian Cup. India drew 1-1 with Vietnam and lost 0-1 against Uzbekistan at the Thammasat Stadium. Midfielder Brandon Fernandes, who made his India debut at the 2019 King's Cup in Buriram against Curacao, is up for the challenge in Pathum Thani. He also spent the last pre-season with his club Mumbai City FC in Thailand, so it's safe to say, he is quite familiar with the country, its weather and playing conditions. "It's always different when you play away from home. We are familiar with Thailand because we played the King's Cup here. This one's going to be a different game — an international friendly. There will be more fans supporting the home team, and it's a challenge for us. We have to be ready for it and go there with a mindset to win the game," the 30-year-old told AIFF's official website. Team India's hotel is situated in the heart of Pathum Thani, approximately 50 kilometres north of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Pathum Thani, one of Thailand's 76 provinces and part of the Bangkok metropolitan area, is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The Thammasat Stadium, part of the Thammasat University campus, was built for the 1998 Asian Games. The Indian women's team also played two matches in the group stage of that Asiad. Right now, the Blue Tigers' primary aim is to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2027, and Fernandes feels that the preparations for the Hong Kong game are on the right track. "Everybody is looking fit after the camp in Kolkata. We also had a couple of practice games. We are in much better shape as we head into the Thailand leg of the camp. We'll have a few more training sessions here, and we'll be ready for the game. "Thailand will be a perfect challenge for us in order to prepare for the Hong Kong game. We have to put our best foot forward and look for a positive result. Everybody has put in the work, those hard yards, and yes — with the way we train and are putting in the shifts, I think we will get a good result," Fernandes said.
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Manolo Marquez confirms 28-member Blue Tigers travelling squad for Thailand friendly
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 28 (ANI): Indian men's national team head coach Manolo Marquez confirmed on Wednesday that all 28 players participating in the ongoing camp in Kolkata will travel to Thailand for the FIFA friendly against the hosts, scheduled for June 4, according to the official website of AIFF. The Blue Tigers had been training in the City of Joy since May 19. The contingent will leave for Thailand on Wednesday evening. The friendly match between India and Thailand will take place on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani. Subsequently, India will depart for Hong Kong on June 5 for the all-important AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers final round fixture against the East Asian side on June 10. In Kolkata, Marquez's men underwent six full days of training, with gym sessions in the mornings and on-pitch training in the evenings. The Blue Tigers played two practice matches on May 26 and 27. On Monday, they won 2-1 against Santosh Trophy Champions Bengal, with Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan finding the net. Tuesday saw a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas as Sunil Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Udanta Singh Kumam scored the goals. India' 28-member squad for the FIFA Friendly against Thailand: Goalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte. (ANI)
