
The Indian men’s senior football team has started preparations for their upcoming friendly against Vietnam on October 12, with the squad assembling in Kolkata and holding their first training session on Sunday morning. As the Indian Super League (ISL) is currently in progress, head coach Manolo Márquez expressed optimism about the physical condition of the players, noting an improvement since the last international window in September.
“Physically, we are better now than we were during the pre-season,” said Márquez, acknowledging that while there are still some top-performing players absent from the squad, the ones selected are believed to be the best choices to face Vietnam. “I don’t want to talk much about the ones who are not here. If you speak with 20 people, they’ll all give you a different list. We called these players because we think they are the best to play against Vietnam.”
The squad sees a few new faces, including left-back Aakash Sangwan and 21-year-old midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte, both earning their first national team call-ups. Additionally, forward Farukh Choudhary returns to the squad after a three-year absence, having previously represented India 14 times and scored once against Nepal in a 2021 friendly. He was also part of the India team that won the SAFF Championship that same year.
Originally, India was set to play in a tri-nation tournament with Vietnam and Lebanon, but Lebanon’s late withdrawal means that India will now play just one friendly against the hosts, Vietnam, on October 12 at the Thien Truong Stadium in Nam Dinh.
Márquez had mixed feelings about the adjustment: “In one way, it’s worse because you play only one game. In another way, it’s better because you have more time to prepare.” The coach noted that with only one match, the team now has the benefit of four or five training sessions instead of just two, which allows more time for the players to adapt to the team’s tactics. “Let’s see if that’s enough or not, but that’s normal when you play with the national team,” Márquez added.
Sunday’s training session at the AIFF National Centre of Excellence was of moderate intensity, with the coach observing a positive attitude from the players. Many had recently played in ISL matches, but their optimism stood out. “I like their optimistic attitude,” Márquez remarked. He also pointed out that Vietnam is in a similar situation, with both teams having played a few league matches this season, making the friendly a closely contested encounter.
The Indian squad will travel to Vietnam from Kolkata on Sunday night and is expected to arrive in Nam Định early on Monday morning. Márquez emphasized that the team that wins the friendly will prove to be better in this particular game, given the similar conditions both teams are facing.
India’s squad for the friendly against Vietnam:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Aakash Sangwan, Subhasish Bose, Asish Rai, Mehtab Singh, Roshan Singh Naorem
Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Lalengmawia, Lallianzuala Chhangte
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Farukh Choudhary, Manvir Singh, Vikram Partap Singh
Coaching Staff:
- Head coach: Manolo Márquez
- Assistant coaches: Mahesh Gawali and Benito Montalvo
- Goalkeeper coach: Marc Gamon
- Strength and conditioning coach: José Carlos Barroso
Leave a Reply