India eye fresh start in new coach Manolo's first tournament

HYDERABAD: Seeking to put the heartbreak in the World Cup Qualifiers behind, the Indian men's football team will look to start from scratch under new head coach Manolo Márquez when it faces Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup opener here on Tuesday.

The Indian senior men's team is coming to the Telangana capital for the first time in 16 years as the city plays host to Mauritius and Syria from September 3 to 9.

The coach has termed the tournament a dress rehearsal for bigger tasks ahead -- AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Marquez felt that he will be able to better judge the quality of his squad when the season is up and running.

"The main target of playing these games in September, October and November is to prepare for the more important thing - the Asian Cup qualifiers, the first game of which is in March," the Spaniard said.

"The first FIFA window now is a little tricky because we are still in pre-season. Some clubs played with their reserve team in the Durand Cup. We don't exactly know the physical situation of all the players. That won't happen in the next FIFA windows because the ISL will be ongoing. But again, I think this is not an excuse. We are ready for tomorrow."

The matches will be played at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium.

The team's long-term target is qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which is set to begin in March next year.

Marquez has stressed on the importance of obtaining good results in the upcoming three FIFA international match windows so as to keep India's place in Pot 1 ahead of December's draw.

However, time is of the essence for the Spaniard, who had just two training sessions ahead of the tournament opener.

He named his 26-member squad last month, comprising some new faces and some returning ones too, as India prepare for life after Sunil Chhetri's retirement.

Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Yasir Mohammad are back for the first time since last year's Tri-Nation Series triumph.

Defenders Asish Rai and Roshan Singh Naorem return after almost an year-long hiatus, while Kiyan Nassiri Giri, Lalthathanga Khawlhring and Prabhsukhan Singh Gill will be eyeing their senior India debut.

Marquez will hope for a memorable start to his national team career with silverware in the city where he began his journey in Indian football.

With the exception of the 2019 edition when North Korea lifted the trophy, India triumphed in the inaugural tournament in 2018 (beating Kenya 2-0 in Mumbai) and last year in Bhubaneswar (beating Lebanon 2-0).

Their opponents Syria and Mauritius are no strangers to Indian soil. Syria last travelled to India for the 2019 Intercontinental Cup, finishing in third place. They also took part in the last three editions of the Nehru Cup in 2007, 2009 and 2012, finishing runners-up to India in the first two.

Mauritius journeyed to India for the 2017 Tri-Nation Series, where they lost 1-2 to the hosts and drew 1-1 with Saint Kitts and Nevis to end up in last place.

"We face two different teams and the rankings are not very important. We want to be in Pot 1. That would give us an advantage," said Márquez.

"We must play competitive games to improve. We all need to work together in the same direction to find the correct group of players and their predisposition will be very good, something I am completely sure about."

Ranked 179th in the world, Mauritius are currently placed fifth in their six-team FIFA World Cup Qualifiers group in Africa, with four points in as many matches. It includes a couple of impressive results like a 2-1 home win over higher-ranked Eswatini in June and a 0-0 draw versus 90th-ranked Angola last November.

However, they crashed out in the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers following a 1-3 aggregate loss to Chad in March.

Les Dodos, as they are nicknamed, are led by French coach Guillaume Moullec, who took charge in May this year.

Some of their key players include captain and veteran goalkeeper Kevin Jean-Louis, six-foot-seven defender Dylan Collard, who plays for Lusitania FC in the Portuguese third tier and former French youth international Lindsay Rose, who plies his trade at Greek top division side Aris FC.

Match kicks off at 7.30 pm.