India set to kick off AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Bangladesh in Shillong

The remaining two teams in Group A, Singapore and Hong Kong, will also compete against each other on Tuesday. With only the group winners advancing to the final tournament in Saudi Arabia, the stakes are high. Manolo Márquez has described the qualifiers as 'six finals,' emphasizing the importance of every match.

Hyderabad: The India senior men’s team will begin their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers final round campaign taking on 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 Márquez labelling the qualifiers as ‘six finals’.

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“The first game is always important. It’s a short competition, only the top team qualifies for the tournament,” said Márquez 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.”

“Sunil (Chhetri) 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,” Marquez said.

Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who accompanied Márquez in the press conference, said they were 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,” he said.

“One thing we know is that whenever India plays 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 Sandesh said.

“Bangladesh have very good players. They’ve had the same coach (Javier Cabrera) for the last three years with the same philosophy. Most of the players are the same since they played against Maldives last
November. Continuity is important,” Marquez said.

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera, a Spaniard like Márquez, said it would be a very exciting game. “The team has been training and working hard for 24 days already, which is a long time, honestly.”

“It feels good to be back in India. I have good memories here, so, of course, I’m excited for tomorrow’s match. We know it’s going to be hard, but we’ll give our best.”,” said Bangladesh captain and midfielder Jamal Bhuyan.