Preparing for perfect challenges, Indian men's football team reaches Thailand

Pathum Thani (Thailand), May 29 (IANS) 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.

--IANS

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