AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers: “We need to be tough out there” - India skipper expects stern test against Bangladesh
Gurpreet Singh Sandu prepared for tough battle in Dhaka
India’s 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualification hopes were brought to an end by Singapore last month, but Khalid Jamil and co still have to play their remaining games for pride and to give their fans something to cheer amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Indian Super League.
In the first of those matches, India will meet Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Dhaka this evening. The reverse fixture back in March ended in a goalless draw and confirmed our football predictions in what turned out to be Manolo Marquez’s penultimate game in charge.
Despite this being a dead-rubber clash with both teams out of qualification contention, India are still expecting a fierce battle in Dhaka. Speaking ahead of the match, team captain Gurpreet Singh Sandu said to the media:
“It won’t change the competitiveness or the fierceness of the game. It’s always a big game for them and the people of Bangladesh because it’s against India. It might not be the nicest game to watch. It might be scrappy, and we as a team need to be ready for any challenge. We need to be tough out there when we face them.”
Similar sentiments were shared by Sandesh Jhingan, who, like his captain, played in this stadium during the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers in 2015 as well as in an AFC Cup match for Bengaluru FC in 2017.
Ryan Williams India debut forced to be delayed?
Despite India’s elimination from the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, this fixture is widely considered to be the start of a rebuild under Khalid Jamil, especially with the arrival of Australian-born Ryan Williams, who switched allegiance earlier this month.
The Bengaluru FC midfielder was called up to the national team’s training camp just days after announcing his change of citizenship and was expected to make his debut for the Blue Tigers at the National Stadium this week.
However, reports on Monday have indicated that Williams may be forced to return to India, having not secured the necessary FIFA clearance. It is understood that Indian officials requested additional time to submit their team list to the AFC match commissioner so that the former Aussie could be included.
Bangladesh are reportedly likely to submit an official complaint if India fail to submit their list within the specified timeframe or includes Williams in the squad without proper authorisation. Coach Jamil also confirmed that he was still awaiting the midfielder’s clearance during his pre-match press conference.
