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Stadium: Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Referee: A Rowan, Assistants: Shaji Kurian, Md. Kamil, Fourth Official: Santosh Kumar
Kick-off: February 6, 18:30 IST
Home Advantage
The Indian national team returns to action for the first time since October when they lost 2-0 to Singapore in an international friendly and will be eager to win this game and improve their FIFA Ranking, the next release of which is on February 14. This will be India’s first home friendly since November 2011 when they beat Malaysia 3-2 in Kolkata and although they will be up against a nation placed 14 spots above them in the FIFA Rankings, Wim Koevermans’ side will be banking on home advantage to get a positive result.
Kochi will be hosting an international game for the first time since 2004 and with local boy CK Vineeth in the squad, a huge turnout is expected at the Nehru Stadium although the Kerala Football Association only started the ticket sales just five days before the match. The 2012 Nehru Cup success kicked off the Wim Koevermans era in style but Team India must quickly learn how to get results with just two training sessions ahead of a friendly and this match provides the ideal opportunity. Koevermans has always been vocal about playing friendlies regularly on FIFA match dates but India must also start winning them.
The contest will also be a good measure of where India stands in terms of their preparations for next month’s 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. Palestine are a team that could compete in the final rounds of that tournament so beating them will give India plenty of confidence ahead of the qualifiers in Myanmar. The match also gives a chance for several experienced players like Sunil Chhetri, Subrata Pal, Gouramangi Singh and Syed Rahim Nabi to shrug off their misfortunes at club level and enhance their reputation in international football. Newcomers like Arata Izumi, Vineeth and Shouvik Ghosh will be hoping to stake a claim for a regular place.
Unbeaten Record
Palestine are not only ranked higher than India but also boast a near perfect record against South Asian teams (Played: 9; Won 6; Drawn 3). It will be their first clash with India, who are their final frontier in South Asia but like their opponents, Palestine also want to win on this FIFA match date to improve their ranking of 152. They too will use this match as a preparation for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers where they are in the same group as two other South Asian nations – Nepal and Bangladesh.
The West Asian nation have been improving under Jordanian coach Jamal Mahmoud with the fourth place finish in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal last year being the highlight. That progress continued in the 2012 West Asian Championship last December where they recorded their first-ever win in that competition by beating Lebanon. Technically and physically, Palestine are the better team on paper but they will be wary of India’s home advantage and the absence of several foreign-based players could also be decisive. Some of them, like captain and first-choice goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh, who plays his football in Egypt, were denied an exit visa.
However, several members of the West Asian Championship squad have made this trip to Kochi and although team manager Abdullah Alfara has been saying ahead of the game that ‘they are here to win Indian hearts’, Palestine will be eager to get a result and send out a warning to the other teams competing in the AFC Challenge Cup. The long journey to India must have taken a lot out of their players but the Indian team can expect a tough challenge tomorrow as Palestine would look to continue their invincibility against South Asian nations.
Form Guide
India: LWWDL
Despite the Nehru Cup success, India had a poor 2012 as they only won two of their nine matches with the victory over Cameroon ‘B’ in the Nehru Cup final not being counted as an official game. Those two wins have come in their last four matches though under Wim Koevermans and the Dutchman will also be eager to improve India’s poor record against West Asian opponents. India’s last home defeat against an Asian team came in 2010 to Yemen and they will be looking to extend that run by becoming the first South Asian nation to beat Palestine.
Palestine: WLLWL
The year 2012 will always go down as one of the best in Palestine’s football history as they managed to beat Europe’s Azerbaijan and drew against Asian heavyweights Saudi Arabia. The historic victory over Lebanon was the biggest result though and it is one of their two wins in the last five matches, all of which were played against higher ranked opponents. This game pits them against a lower ranked team for a change and Palestine will be determined to register a win.
Team News
India
Will he win his first India cap?
Injuries to Karanjit Singh and Anthony Pereia saw the inclusion of Subashish Roychowdhury and Joaquim Abranches but none of them are likely to feature in the starting lineup. Koevermans is unlikely to make too many changes to the team that featured in Nehru Cup 2012 and the Singapore friendly but he has a few welcome headaches as the in-form Vineeth is pushing hard to get a nod ahead of the experienced Clifford Miranda on the left flank, while uncapped Pailan Arrows skipper Shouvik Ghosh could also push former Arrows captain Raju Gaikwad to the bench.
Churchill Brothers right back Denzil Franco has had a good season too, so it will be interesting to see whether he starts ahead of the young Nirmal Chettri. With Francis Fernandes likely to start on the right wing, uncapped Japanese-born Arata could start behind lone striker and skipper Sunil Chhetri. However with six substitutions allowed, Koevermans will get the chance to try out a few new faces even if they don’t start.
Possible Staring XI: 4-4-1-1: Subrata Pal; Nirmal Chettri, Gouramangi Singh, Shouvik Ghosh, Syed Rahim Nabi; Francis Fernandes, Mehtab Hossain, Lenny Rodrigues, CK Vineeth; Arata Izumi; Sunil Chhetri.
Palestine
Zatara will be missed
Several foreign-based players were already missing from the squad that was announced and now Swedish-born winger Imad Zatara has also been ruled out as he couldn’t make the trip due to illness. That will give a big problem for coach Mahmoud as he is already without an experienced left back and now might be forced to play the dangerous Ashraf Nu’man on the left wing with the young and exciting Abdelhamid Abuhabib likely to play in the number 10 role behind lone striker Eyad Abugharqud.
The experienced Khader Yousef is likely to partner Ma’aly Kaware in central midfield while in central defence the return of Saudi Arabia-based Abdelatif Bahdari would a big boost. Mousa Abu Jazar is likely to operate as the left back like he did in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup while it remains to be seen whether 26-year-old Mohammed Shbair starts in goal ahead of youngster Toufic Ali.
Possible Staring XI: 4-2-3-1: Mohammed Shbair; Raed Fares, Abdelatif Bahdari, Khaled Mahdi, Mousa Abu Jazar; Khader Yousef, Ma’aly Kaware; Hussam Abu Saleh, Abdelhamid Abuhabib, Ashraf Nu’man; Eyad Abugharqud.
Key Men
India: Sunil Chhetri
With Bhaichung Bhutia retired now, Sunil is India’s talisman and biggest goal threat. Despite not playing regularly for Sporting Lisbon ‘B’, we can expect the captain to be up for this one and if he is at his best, India has a great chance of winning the match.
Palestine: Ashraf Nu’man
In the absence of Zatara, the responsibility on Nu’man increases and he could relish that challenge against an inexperienced Indian backline. The 26-year-old could start out of position on the left wing but still has plenty of quality and trickery to hurt India.
