Intercontinental Cup: India eye strong start, face Mauritius in opener

Head coach Marquez’s India era begins in Intercontinental Cup at GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Hyderabad: The 2024 Intercontinental Cup kicks off in Hyderabad on Tuesday at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, marking the return of the Indian senior men’s team to the Telangana capital for the first time in 16 years. This edition features, India, Syria and Mauritius, with India, ranked 124th in the FIFA rankings, take on Mauritius, ranked 179th, in the tournament opener.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, India’s newly appointed head coach, Manolo Marquez, expressed his excitement about beginning his national team journey in Hyderabad, a city that holds special memories for the 55-year-old, guiding Hyderabad FC to the Indian Super League (ISL) title in 2021-22 season. “It is special for me to kick-start my first assignment with the national team in Hyderabad and I am very excited about the tournament, eagerly waiting for the kick-off,” Marquez said.

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Despite the limited preparation time, with just two training sessions, Marquez remains optimistic, focusing on 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers next year. “We’ll go out there and play our best, aiming for victory. The main target of playing these games in September, October and November is to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifiers in March,” he said.  Mauritius, the lowest-ranked team in the competition, enters the tournament with confidence, having secured a 2-1 victory against Eswatini in their last 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Guillaume Moullec, the head coach of Mauritius, is undeterred by the challenge of facing higher-ranked teams. “Being the underdogs and playing against higher-ranked teams won’t affect our strategy. We will go all out against India,” Moullec stated.

The Hyderabad crowd will witness a historic moment as the city hosts the Intercontinental Cup for the first time. India, two-time winners of the tournament, will look to make a strong start under Marquez’s leadership, especially as they navigate a new era post-Sunil Chhetri’s retirement.

Marquez emphasised the need for the team to adapt, saying, “We need to find solutions from the wingers, midfielders and even from centre-backs in set pieces. I prefer to have multiple players contributing to the scoring rather than rely on a single goalscorer.”  As Hyderabad gears up for this footballing spectacle, all eyes will be on how the India team adapts under Marquez’s leadership.