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The Indian football team face their first game of the Hero Tri-Nation series against Mauritius tonight. The match is scheduled to take place at the Mumbai Football Arena in Andheri with the tournament moved to Mumbai from Chennai a few days ago. The Stephen Constantine-managed side are in prime form and will see this tri-series as a preparatory event before they take on Macau next month for an AFC Cup qualifying match on September 5.
LIVE COMMENTARY: India vs Mauritius, Live Score and Updates, Hero Tri-Nation Series 2017
India have won 13 out of their last 15 games but with this series not having much of an impact on the FIFA rankings, Constantine is expected to test his bench strength. Sandesh Jhingan, the Kerala Blasters central defender, is all set to wear the captain's armband tonight with Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu out on club duty. Along with the aforementioned duo, Udanta Singh is also with the Bengaluru FC squad who are preparing for their AFC Asian Cup match next week.
The Blues are expected to play in a similar 4-4-2 formation which was displayed in their last match against Nepal. Mumbai City's Amarinder Singh will be the custodian on the night but striker Sumeet Passi is expected to miss out on selection against Mauritius.
Mauritius, who are 63 FIFA ranks below the hosts, will find it tough to stage an upset. Managed by the former Manchester United youth coach, Francisco Filho, the Francophone nation will face a stern test against Jhingan and co. The island nation's hopes will rest on the shoulders of captain Kevin Bru who plies his trade in England with Ipswich Town.
India's predicted XI: Amarinder, Das, Edathodika, Jhingan, Kotal, Borges, Narzary, Lyngdoh, Jackichand, Robin, Jeje
Mauritius' predicted XI: Jean-Louis, Vincent, R'Fonirina, Balisson, Dorza, Rose, Bru, Petricots, Rungasamy, Sarah, Justin
Time and venue: 8 PM IST, Mumbai Football Arena
Where to watch it live: Star Sports HD 1, SD1 and Hotstar. For live commentary and updates, tune into Sportskeeda's extensive coverage of the game.
