International Friendly Preview: India vs Bangladesh

Venue: Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao

Kickoff: Wednesday, March 5 2014, 18:00 IST (LIVE on Ten Action)

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Photo Credit: AIFF Media

The Indian senior national team returns to action after more than three months in what will be their first international fixture in Goa since the 5-0 defeat to Zambia in 2011. India played four international friendlies last year and are utilising the first FIFA match date of 2014 by having this clash with neighbours Bangladesh. There is plenty of buzz around this game on the social media networks with fans especially happy with the fact that the match will be telecasted LIVE nationwide unlike the last two home friendlies in November.

Coach Wim Koevermans has always stressed on using FIFA match dates regularly but the Dutchman hinted recently that this match could be the senior team’s only fixture this year as all the focus will be on the under-22 and under-23 sides in the summer ahead of the AFC Under-22 Championship qualifiers and Asian Games later this year. While the Indian Super League will be in progress between September and November. Hopefully the AIFF will come up with a solution and a victory in this encounter will certainly help in that cause.

Efforts were made to have this friendly against a higher-ranked opponent with some of the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 participants like Turkmenistan being approached but in the end Bangladesh was chosen. It is noticeable, that just like Nepal last year, Koevermans accepted to play a lower-ranked neighbour that his side failed to beat at the 2013 SAFF Championship. India needed a last-minute equaliser to earn a vital point against Bangladesh at SAFF 2013 and this time they will be determined to record a home win.

Some of the players assembled in Goa as early as Saturday but Koevermans could only afford two full training sessions and it is something the national team is getting used to so surely the lack of preparation won’t be an excuse. Despite the disappointment of missing out on AFC Challenge Cup qualification and the failure to retain the SAFF Championship, India ended 2013 on a high as they held higher-ranked Philippines and convincingly defeated Nepal in Siliguri. The most pleasing aspect of those two games was that India’s style of play had a good mixture of the direct style and the passing football which Koevermans has tried to introduce.

Those two results and performances showed that the senior team is on the right track again under Koevermans. To continue that good work, India must start 2014 with a win and produce a strong display as well.

Underdogs

With a bit more luck 2013 could have turned out to be one of the best years in Bangladesh football history. As it was only a last-minute rule changed that denied them a berth in the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 while conceding late goals in SAFF Championship 2013, especially the stoppage-time freekick from Sunil Chhetri, saw them make an early exit. Bangladesh have certainly shown promise under Dutch coach Lodewijk de Kruif, whose coaching mentor was Koevermans, and despite being placed ten spots below India at 164 in the FIFA Rankings, the 2003 South Asian champions showed in SAFF 2013 that there is hardly any gap between the sides.

Bangladesh’s Federation Cup champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi gave a further reminder of their country’s improvement by reaching the IFA Shield final, which they only lost to Mohammedan Sporting on penalties. On their way to the summit clash, Dhanmondi defeated both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Despite not being the best side of Bangladesh, they simply outclassed an East Bengal side that is considered to be the best on paper among I-League clubs. Many might argue that the big difference was made by the foreigners of Dhanmondi but in fairness, on present form, the likes of defender Nasir Uddin Chowdhury and midfielders Mamunul Islam and Sohel Rana would find a place in the majority of I-League sides.

But despite their recent improvement, Bangladesh come into this as underdogs due to two reasons. Firstly home advantage will certainly give India the edge while in comparison Bangladesh gets very little international exposure as they didn’t play a single international friendly last year and this will be their first fixture since the final group game against Pakistan at SAFF 2013 in September.That lack of international games makes it very difficult for coach Lodewijk de Kruif but at least he got about a week to prepare for the game as there were no domestic league fixtures at the weekend unlike the I-League and the senior team also faced club side Mohammedan Sporting Dhaka in a practice match.

The Bangladesh players and their travelling media were hurt by India’s late equaliser at SAFF 2013 as they felt that the challenge that led to the freekick was never a foul and also complained that the referee played beyond the stipulated added time. That misery was compounded by Dhanmondi’s heart-breaking loss in the IFA Shield final. It’s fair to say Bangladesh will be seeking revenge.

Form Guide

India: LWLDW

That win over Nepal was India’s first in an international friendly under Koevermans with three of the previous four ending in defeat. India also haven’t won back-to-back games since Nehru Cup 2012 and they haven’t recorded a victory in the first game of a calendar year since 2008.

Bangladesh: WWLDL

Bangladesh have never won away at India and their last victory against India at senior international level came in the 2003 SAFF Championship semi-final. Despite a highly encouraging 2013, the only FIFA member that they defeated last year was Nepal with the other win coming over Northern Mariana Islands.

Team News

India

Koevermans has retained most of the squad that was selected for the twin international friendlies in November. But a couple of consistent performers in the I-League – Balwant Singh and Amrinder Singh – have been rewarded for their fine form while Subrata Pal has been recalled despite only featuring in one reserve league game for Denmark’s FC Vestsjaelland. Besides Pal, the only other IMG-Reliance contracted player in the squad is uncapped central defender Sandesh Jhingan.

There is plenty of experience and quality in midfield but once again international experience is lacking among defenders with five of them having a combined total of 11 senior caps. But perhaps a game against lower-ranked Bangladesh is an ideal opportunity to give international exposure to those youngsters.

Koevermans is likely to opt for two strikers and it would be interesting to see who gets the start alongside skipper Sunil. Robin Singh has impressed in national team colours despite not being a regular for his club Bengaluru while Balwant is one of the most in-form strikers in the I-League and thus is in contention for his full international debut.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar SC), Amrinder Singh (Pune FC), Subrata Pal (FC Vestsjaelland).

Defenders: Denzil Franco (Churchill Brothers), Arnab Mondal (East Bengal), Aibhorlang Khongjee (Mohun Bagan), Sandesh Jhingan (Mumbai FC), Gurjinder Kumar (Pune FC), Narayan Das (Dempo SC).

Midfielders: Mehtab Hossain, Lalrindika Ralte (both East Bengal), Lenny Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers), Rocus Lamare (Salgaocar), Alwyn George, Clifford Miranda (both Dempo), Francis Fernandes (Salgaocar), Victorino Fernandes (Sporting Clube de Goa).

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Robin Singh (both Bengaluru FC), Balwant Singh (Churchill Brothers)

Bangladesh

There are ten Dhanmondi players in the 21-man squad

There are eight Under-20 players in Bangladesh’s 21-man travelling squad and six of them are uncapped. Since the national team hardly features at international level barring the few competitive matches, Kruif has made the most of this fixture by picking a young squad. Besides the domestic tournaments, the 43-year-old Dutchman has also taken the Under-19 Asian Cup qualifiers into account for his selection..

The majority of the squad though comes from the 2014 IFA Shield runners-up Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi side with as many as ten players. Those Dhanmondi players will be eager to impress again both to get a good result and perhaps even catch the attention of some I-League clubs. Denmark-based midfielder Jamal Bhuyan is the only foreign-based player in the squad.

Kruif will be missing the services of winger Zahid Hossain and midfielder Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan due to injury but he should still be able to select a strong midfield with skipper Mamunul Islam fully fit, which wasn’t the case at SAFF 2013. The defence also has a good mix of youth and experience but the forward department is highly dependent on the experienced Jahid Hasan Ameli as two – Aminur Rahman Sazib and Toklis Ahmed – of the other three are teenagers.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Biplob Bhattacharjee (Sheikh Russel KC), Shahidul Alam Sohel (Dhaka Abahani), Mohammed Mazharul Islam (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi)

Defenders: Ashraf Mohamed Linkon (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Rayhan Hasan (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Nasir Uddin Chowdhury (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Didarul Hoque (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Atiqur Rahman Meshu (Dhaka Abahani), Topu Borman (Mohammedan SC Dhaka), Yeasin Khan (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Yeamin Ahmed Munna (Mohammedan SC Dhaka)

Midfielders: Jamal Bhuyan (Hellerup IK), Sohel Rana (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Mohd Mamunul Islam (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Rubel Miya (Brothers Union), Hemanta Vincent Biswas (Mohammedan SC Dhaka), Towhidul Alam (Mohammedan Sporting Dhaka)

Forwards: Jahid Hasan Ameli (Mohammedan SC Dhaka), Toklis Ahmed (Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi), Mithun Chowdhury (Sheikh Russel KC), Aminur Rahman Sajib (Team BJMC)

Key Men

India – Sunil Chhetri

The India captain became the country’s highest scorer as per AIFF records last year and he would be determined to put an inspiring performance in the first game of 2014. His goal against Bangladesh at SAFF 2013 only earned a draw and this time he would be hoping to score in a winning cause.

Bangladesh – Mamunul Islam

Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam (right) and coach Kruif

The Bangladesh skipper is the team’s midfield playmaker and was badly missed during the defeat to Nepal in the SAFF 2013 opener. Mamunul has a magical left foot and it was his delivery from a corner that led to Bangladesh’s goal against India in the SAFF 2013 encounter where he only featured as a late second half substitute.