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United News of India
3 days ago
- 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
4 days ago
- 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)
NDTV
6 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Thailand A Good Test Before Hong Kong, Says Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam
The preparations in the Indian men's national team camp are in full swing in Kolkata as the Blue Tigers gear up for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match against Hong Kong on June 10. Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam believes that the friendly game against Thailand on June 4 will be the perfect way to groom for the all-important clash in Kowloon, Hong Kong. "The good thing is that we will be playing a friendly against Thailand, who are a similar opponent, in my opinion," said Suresh. "We got 15 to 20 days of break after the domestic season, and we started our camp on the 18th of this month. We're getting into form day by day, and it's very important to play an international friendly match before Hong Kong. So, it will be a very good test for us and we will know where we are." The last time India faced Thailand (a 1-0 win for the Blue Tigers in June 2019), Wangjam was still part of the Indian Arrows and hadn't made his senior international debut yet. However, he does have the experience of facing Hong Kong before — a 4-0 win at the previous AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022. With 33 caps to his name so far, that remains Wangjam's biggest win in India's blue so far. But the 24-year-old recalled that despite what the scoreline suggested, it wasn't an easy game at all. "We played against Hong Kong last time in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. They were a good team, well organised, so it will be a very tough game, especially away from home. We are preparing well. It's been six sessions here, and we're looking sharper day by day. Everyone knows that only one team will qualify for the Asian Cup, so it's very important for us to take as many points as we can," said the Bengaluru FC man. The last Asian Cup Qualifiers were held in a centralised location in a single round-robin format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AFC reverted to the original home-and-away format for the final round of the qualifiers this time, which means each team will play six games across 12 months from March 2025 to March 2026. India's Group C contains Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh, against whom the Blue Tigers drew 0-0 on the first matchday. Only the group winner will book their place in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. "If you ask any player or staff, the long-term goal is to qualify for the Asian Cup, but we have to take it game by game. For now, we are only focusing on Hong Kong. The fans are always behind us. Just be with us through thick and thin. "Hong Kong are in good form, but we will be just focusing on ourselves. We have been analysing our opponents and we'll stick to our plan and see what happens when we go out and play against them," said Wangjam. Listen to the latest songs, only on
