Kolkata, May 26 (IANS) The preparations in the Indian men’s national team camp are in full swing in Kolkata as the Blue Tigers gear up for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match against Hong Kong on June 10.

Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam believes that the friendly game against Thailand on June 4 will be the perfect way to groom for the all-important clash in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

“The good thing is that we will be playing a friendly against Thailand, who are a similar opponent, in my opinion,” said Suresh.

“We got 15 to 20 days of break after the domestic season, and we started our camp on the 18th of this month. We’re getting into form day by day, and it’s very important to play an international friendly match before Hong Kong. So, it will be a very good test for us and we will know where we are.”

The last time India faced Thailand (a 1-0 win for the Blue Tigers in June 2019), Wangjam was still part of the Indian Arrows and hadn’t made his senior international debut yet. However, he does have the experience of facing Hong Kong before — a 4-0 win at the previous AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022.

With 33 caps to his name so far, that remains Wangjam’s biggest win in India’s blue so far. But the 24-year-old recalled that despite what the scoreline suggested, it wasn’t an easy game at all.

“We played against Hong Kong last time in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. They were a good team, well organised, so it will be a very tough game, especially away from home. We are preparing well. It’s been six sessions here, and we’re looking sharper day by day. Everyone knows that only one team will qualify for the Asian Cup, so it’s very important for us to take as many points as we can,” said the Bengaluru FC man.

The last Asian Cup Qualifiers were held in a centralised location in a single round-robin format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AFC reverted to the original home-and-away format for the final round of the qualifiers this time, which means each team will play six games across 12 months from March 2025 to March 2026.

India’s Group C contains Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh, against whom the Blue Tigers drew 0-0 on the first matchday. Only the group winner will book their place in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.

“If you ask any player or staff, the long-term goal is to qualify for the Asian Cup, but we have to take it game by game. For now, we are only focusing on Hong Kong. The fans are always behind us. Just be with us through thick and thin.

“Hong Kong are in good form, but we will be just focusing on ourselves. We have been analysing our opponents and we’ll stick to our plan and see what happens when we go out and play against them,” said Wangjam.

–IANS

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