Having their tail up after a famous result against Asian champions Qatar, the Indian football team will be eyeing their first win when they take on lower-ranked Bangladesh in a Group E Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA 2022 World Cup at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Tuesday. (LIVE UPDATES)
India held Qatar to a goalless draw in Doha last month to underline their marked improvement under new head coach Igor Stimac who, since taking charge, has stressed on introducing a host of new faces in the team.
The return of skipper Sunil Chhetri, who was indisposed for that Qatar game, will boost the morale of Blue Tigers as they seek their first win of the campaign. After all, Chhetri has 72 international goals -- the second-most among active players, after Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (94).
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India lost to Oman 1-2 in their campaign opener in Guwahati and thus find themselves at fourth place in the five-team table with one point from two outings.
Against Bangladesh, who are at the foot of the group after losing to Afghanistan and Qatar in their first two matches, India will be without the services of their defensive mainstay Sandesh Jhingan who played his heart out against Qatar. He suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury that is likely to keep him out of action for a considerable period.
On paper, India enjoy a commanding 15-2 head-to-head record in 28 meetings but Bangladesh have managed to stay unbeaten in their last two fixtures (1-1 in SAFF Championships, 2013 and 2-2 in an International friendly, 2014).
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All you need to know about the match:
Match: India vs Bangladesh, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier, Group E, which also doubles up as the qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Date: 15 October (Tuesday);
Time: 7:30 PM IST (Kick-off);
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata;
TV Channel: Star Sports 3;
Online Streaming: Hotstar/JioTV
Standings:
1. Qatar - 7 points (played 3, won 2, drew 1, lost none)
2. Oman - 6 points (played 2, won 2, drew none, lost none)
3. Afghanistan - 3 points (played 3, won 1, drew none, lost 2)
4. India - 1 point (played 2, won none, drew 1, lost 1)
5. Bangladesh - zero points (played 2, lost both)
Squads:
India: GK - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Kamaljit Singh; DF - Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Adil Khan, Narender Gahlot, Sarthak Golui, Anas Edathodika, Mandar Rao Dessai, Subhasish Bose; MF - Udanta Kumam, Nikhil Poojary, Vinit Rai, Anirudh Thapa, Abdul Sahal, Raynier Fernandes, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Ashique Kuruniyan; FW - Sunil Chhetri (captain), Balwant Singh, Manvir Singh.
Head Coach: Igor Stimac (Croatia)
Bangladesh: GK - Ashraful Islam Rana, Anisur Rahman Zico, Shahidul Yousuf Sohel; DF - Bishwanath Ghosh, Rahmat Mia, Yeasin Khan, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Riyadul Hasan Rafi, Yeasin Arafat, Raihan Hasan; MF - Jamal Bhuyan (captain), Biplu Ahmed, Robiul Hasan, Sohel Rana, Arifur Rahman, Mamunul Islam, Mohammad Ibrahim; FW- Tawhidul Alam Sabuz, Nabib Newaj Jibon, Motin Mia, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Jewel Rana, Saad Uddin.
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Head Coach: Jamie Day (England)
