Bangladesh have not beaten India since the 2003 SAFF Championship in Dhaka but there have been a few close encounters since
Shillong: The question was on the weight of expectations and with his answer, which wrapped up their part of the official pre-match media conference, Jamal Bhuyan set the context for Bangladesh. We know what has happened in the last one year, said the Bangladesh skipper and midfielder speaking in Bangla. It will add an edge to what the midfielder said is a match “against your big brother. And those are matches you always want to win.”
This is India’s first meeting with Bangladesh since a popular uprising overthrew Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024 (AF)
Even for a man who survived being repeatedly shot as a teen in Denmark and built a football career that looked to be over before it had started, Bhuyan said he and his mates are feeling the pressure ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against India here. But they are “cool” dealing with it, he said.
After an interim government took charge in Bangladesh last August, bilateral relations with neighbours India have been hit. Bhuyan did not elaborate but said there is a “little more focus for them” going into this match. India and Bangladesh have had a few feisty encounters but this will be the first meeting since a popular uprising overthrew Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.
The addition of 27-year-old defensive midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who has played for Leicester City in Premier League and is on loan to Sheffield United, to the roster has amplified the hype and with Bhuyan saying they are in a better space mentally than the 2023 SAFF Championship where they stretched Kuwait in the semi-final, Bangladesh are hoping to do what they have never before – beat India at home.
Bangladesh have not beaten India since the 2003 SAFF Championship in Dhaka but there have been a few close encounters since. “Matches against our neighbours have always been high on adrenaline and passion,” said India’s defensive lynchpin Sandesh Jhingan.
It took a Sunil Chhetri free-kick, which was pretty much the last kick of the match, to force a 1-1 draw in the 2013 SAFF Championship. Buoyed by an away draw against Asian champions Qatar, India were nearly brought down to earth with a thud at Salt Lake stadium when Bangladesh were leading 1-0 till an Adil Khan equaliser in the 88th minute. It was again Chhetri who bailed out India with an 85th minute penalty when the teams met in the 2023 Asian Games and the last international between them, in the 2021 SAFF Championship, ended 1-1.
So, India head coach Manolo Marquez was not off the mark when he said he didn’t want to make much of the difference in 59 spots in the current FIFA rankings where his team are 126th and Bangladesh 185. “Rankings are a big lie,” he said, referring to teams below India who could be better and the reverse also being true.
Bangladesh stopped their top league since February 22 for this match. And though they have not played friendlies, the team has trained in Saudi Arabia for this group C match of the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. They had planned some matches, their 40-year-old Spanish head coach Javier Cabrera said, but they fell through “but we did take the advantage of training in high quality facilities.” Mentally and otherwise, this is the best possible version of the national team, said Cabrera who has been in charge for three-and-a-half years.
Marquez, 56, said it would have been good if he had had more time like Bangladesh but said he understood why that was not possible. “You can’t stop the league,” said the Spaniard doing double duty with FC Goa and the national team this season. “I knew as national team coach I will not get much time.” That may happen ahead of the match against Hong Kong, who along with Singapore complete the group, in June after the domestic season ends.
So, India go into this match buoyed by the return from retirement of Chhetri, who scored his 95th international goal in his comeback match against Maldives here last week, and with around 10 days of training. The 3-0 victory against Maldives, India’s first in over 16 months, came at a cost with Brandon Fernandes joining a growing injury list that already had Manvir Singh, Ashish Rai and Lallianzuala Chhange on it.
Having players capable of making runs from behind is always a good thing, Marquez said, explaining why he has called 21-year-old Macarton Lewis as replacement for Fernandes. But he could also get Chhetri to drop behind Irfan Yadwad who could be the No.9. Lalengmawia Ralte and either Jeakson Singh and Suresh Wangjam could be the pivots with Liston Colaco and Naorem Mahesh adding width to the team.
Jhingan and Rahuk Bheke, who along with Chhetri and Udanta Singh are among those who played in 2019, are likely to be at the heart of the defence with Subhasish Bose and Boris Singh the likely full backs in a possible with Vishal Kaith in goal. On a pitch known to slippery and in a city where evenings can be nippy and windy, this match could also be the start of Kaith being the regular No. 1.
