India will take on Maldives in an international friendly in Shillong ahead of their respective Asian Cup qualifying campaigns. India looks to secure a win after a lengthy winless period, while Maldives aims to improve upon their recent performances and historical clashes against India. Both teams are preparing to embark on their journeys to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
India and Maldives are set to play an international friendly at Shillong’s Polo Ground on Wednesday, as both teams prepare for their Asian Cup qualifying campaigns commencing next week. Following poor performances in World Cup qualifiers, where both teams faced early eliminations, they will each aim to gain momentum from this match.
India hasn’t secured a victory in nearly 18 months since their 1-0 win against Kuwait during World Cup qualifying, where they ultimately finished at the bottom of their group. They followed this with disappointing performances in the Asian Cup, losing all three group matches without scoring.
Manolo Marquez, India’s coach, has struggled to find success in his four friendlies, recording three draws and one loss. After this season, he will focus exclusively on the national team as they gear up for their first Asian Cup qualifying match against Bangladesh next week.
Maldives also aims to kickstart their campaign, facing the Philippines away from home next week. They were eliminated early from World Cup qualifiers, losing to Bangladesh, and recently played two friendlies against them, securing one win and one loss.
Ali Suzain returns for his second stint as Maldives’ coach, hoping to improve their historical performance against India. Although Maldives triumphed in the 2018 South Asian Championship final, they have won only twice in 16 encounters against India, the last of which resulted in a 3-1 Indian victory.
Team-wise, India will rely on veteran Sunil Chhetri, who has returned from retirement, aiming for his 100th international goal. However, he will miss key players like Lallianzuala Chhangte and Ashish Rai due to injuries. In contrast, Maldives looks to Ali Fasir for leadership; he recently scored in both friendlies against Bangladesh.
Predicted lineups are as follows:
– India: A Singh; Bheke, Jhingan, Bose, N R Singh; Wangjam, Apuia, Fernandes; Yadwad, S Chhetri, Choudhary.
– Maldives: Shareef; Samooh, Sifaau, H Hassan, Shifaz; H Mohamed, Mahudhee, Nihan, Irufaan, N Hassan; Fasir.
In conclusion, despite both teams entering this fixture without strong recent form, India is favored to win given their higher FIFA ranking and Maldives’ limited competitive matches in recent months. A predicted scoreline favors India at 2-0, as they seek to build confidence ahead of their qualifying matches.
In summary, India and Maldives face off in a critical friendly, both teams aiming to shift momentum ahead of their upcoming Asian Cup qualifying matches. India, despite a lengthy winless streak, holds a higher ranking and is favored to win, while Maldives hopes to overcome their recent inactivity and improve historical results against India. The match may serve as a necessary preparation for both teams entering competitive play.
Original Source: www.sportsmole.co.uk
