Dhaka, Nov 16 (IANS) The Indian senior men’s team arrived in Dhaka on Saturday evening, three days before their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round match against the hosts. Despite both teams being out of contention for qualification, Blue Tigers goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said that the rivalry will remain intact.

“It won’t change the competitiveness or the fierceness of the game. It’s always a big game for them and for the people of Bangladesh because it’s against India,” said Sandhu, who has played three matches against the neighbours at the senior level in the past.

“We need to be prepared mentally and physically because it’s always a tough game. 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,” Sandhu added.

Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who captained India when these two sides last met in March’s reverse fixture in Shillong, said, “Our expectations are very simple. Play to our full potential, and stick to the system for as long as we can during the game. If we can do that, the rest will follow. We’ll work hard and hopefully get a win this time.”

Winger Lallianzuala Chhangte is the only player in the current squad who has represented the Blue Tigers on Bangladeshi soil before — that was in the 2018 SAFF Championship, where he scored one goal.

But Jhingan and Sandhu have played in Bangladesh before for Indian age-group teams and Bengaluru FC.

Jhingan recalled, “I’ve played here before with the Under-23s (during the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers in 2015), and also at club level. The people of Bangladesh love watching football, and they support their team really well. We played at the same stadium where we will play this game (the National Stadium in Dhaka).”

Jhingan and Sandhu were teammates in Bengaluru FC when they suffered a 0-2 loss to Abahani Limited Dhaka in the 2017 AFC Cup. But ultimately, the Indian club prevailed as group toppers and qualified for the knockout round.

Sandhu, who was also part of the India U23 squad for the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka, said, “The experience over here has always been a learning one. You know it’s not an easy place to come because it’s very competitive. Being our neighbours, the team here wants to do well against us and give us a tough time. That has been my experience with the national team and also with club football whenever we have visited in the past.

“But yeah, that was a long time ago. Bangladesh have developed their infrastructure and invested heavily. Their love for football has grown, and the national team is also doing better.”

The Indian team, on Saturday, was received with full security arrangements at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, coordinated by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and the local police. The team bus was led by a police escort to their hotel, and the Blue Tigers have continued with their training schedule as planned. The Indian team remain inside a strict security bubble to protect them, although they have not faced issues of any nature.

“I would like to thank the Bangladesh federation for the warm hospitality since we arrived. They’ve been really kind and helpful. We were briefed before coming here. But I trust the Indian High Commission and the local authorities with everything. We, as athletes, are only focused on putting our best foot forward while playing. Sport is something that unites people, and I hope this game can also unite and bring a good feeling. So far, we’ve felt fine,” Jhingan said.

Sandhu concurred, “We were aware of the domestic situation here. It’s obviously not a very ideal one. But we are here to play football and that’s all on our mind. Since arriving yesterday, we haven’t felt unsafe. So far it’s been good — everything has been very well organised. We just need to focus on what we have ahead of us and what we have to do on the pitch.”

Khalid Jamil’s men had an activation session on Sunday morning, followed by an afternoon training session. They will have an official training session at the National Stadium on Monday. The match will kick off at 19:30 IST on Tuesday and will be streamed live on FanCode.

–IANS

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