'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACQtwz/AP/EACIQAAEDAwMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBAgQABQcREiITFBVCcf/aAAgBAQABPwAGQru6TbTlN3JAyB8Se28TUeP5ySpOR2AklF49XdN6t11Sv//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgP/2gAIAQIBAT8A3WqT/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAR/9oACAEDAQE/AB2//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Indian men's national team will begin their Intercontinental Cup 2023 campaign on Friday, June 9, with a clash against Mongolia. The tournament will kick off what is expected to be a jam-packed summer of football for the Blue Tigers.
India will play against Mongolia, Vanuatu, and Lebanon in the tournament, which is being held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The Intercontinental Cup has returned after a four-year hiatus and will present Igor Stimac's men with a perfect opportunity to prepare for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. Since its inception in 2018, the four-nation has served as a remarkable convergence of diverse footballing styles and cultures.
The inaugural edition took place in Mumbai with teams from three different confederations alongside the host nation, India. Kenya from CAF, Chinese Taipei from AFC, and New Zealand from OFC participated in the competition where the Blue Tigers turned out to be the eventual victors.
Here is all you need to know about India's upcoming campaign in the Intercontinental Cup:
India's fixture in the Intercontinental Cup 2023
June 9, 2023: India vs Mongolia, 19.30 IST
June 12, 2023: Vanuatu vs India, 19.30 IST
June 15, 2023: India vs Lebanon, 19.30 IST
June 18, 2023: FINAL, 19.30 IST
A look at India's opponents in the Intercontinental Cup 2023
Mongolia: The Blue Tigers are yet to encounter Mongolia, the lowest-ranked team at 183 in the FIFA rankings. Ulaanbaatar, the world's coldest capital city, poses a challenging environment to play in and hence Mongolia have participated in limited friendly matches. They have mainly focused on World Cup and Asian Cup Qualifiers, along with the EAFF Championship.
However, Mongolia have shown progress lately with significant achievements. They reached the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers by defeating Brunei Darussalam 3-2 on aggregate, beating Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic by 1-0 scorelines, and securing a 2-0 victory against Yemen in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Vanuatu: Vanuatu are the third opponent from Oceania, after New Zealand and Fiji, that India will face. The South Pacific Ocean nation gave their best performance in the OFC Nations Cup and have been fourth on three occasions.
In 2022, due to pandemic restrictions in Oceania, Vanuatu traveled to Qatar for World Cup Qualifiers but had to withdraw before their first match due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
They participated in a tri-nation friendly tournament in March 2023, defeating Fiji 2-1 and finishing second after losing 0-2 to the Solomon Islands.
Lebanon: A familiar foe to India, Lebanon, will be the primary challenge in the Intercontinental Cup. Ranked 99th in FIFA Rankings, the Cedars pose a stern test, sitting two spots above India.
Of the previous seven meetings, India won one, drew two, and lost four, with Lebanon emerging victorious in their last clash during the 2009 Nehru Cup opener.
India's squad for the Intercontinental Cup 2023
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, and Gurmeet Singh.
Defenders: Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh, and Rahul Bheke.
Midfielders: Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Rohit Kumar, Udanta Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rowllin Borges and Nandhakumar Sekar.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali, and Ishan Pandita.
Head Coach: Igor Stimac.
Telecast and streaming details of the Intercontinental Cup 2023
The live telecast of the tournament will be available on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. The matches will also be streamed on Jio TV.
