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After a humbling 2-1 defeat against Bahrain in the first of the two international friendlies, the Indian men's national team will face Belarus on March 26 at the Bahrain National Stadium.
Although Rahul Bheke scored his maiden international goal for head coach Igor Stimac's men, his efforts weren't enough to salvage a draw for India in the previous game. Mahdi Al-Humaidan scored an 88th-minute winner for Bahrain to win the game.
However, in their game against Belarus, Stimac has the entirety of their 25-man squad available and fresher players to deputize. The gaffer also underlined that the starting lineup could see a makeover for the match against their European opponent.
"There will be some big changes for the Belarus game. I want to introduce a new team with fresh faces and energy which will give us more stability in the passing front. Friendly games are the best opportunity to give players the chance to perform, and I believe if you don’t take risks, you will never succeed,” Stimac stated.
The two friendlies are in Bahrain against the host nation and Belarus were part of the team’s preparations for the final round of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers, which will be held in Kolkata from June 8. India have been clubbed in Group D along with Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Cambodia.
India vs Belarus: Team News and Predicted Lineup
Against Bahrain, India lined up in a conventional 4-4-2 system with Manvir Singh and V.P. Suhair upfront. Meanwhile, Danish Farooq and Naorem Roshan Singh impressed on their debuts.
Head coach Igor Stimac has said fans can expect some big changes for the game against Belarus. Expect Farooq and Roshan to start and either Ruivah Hormipam or Anwar Ali can partner Sandesh Jhingan.
India: Gurpreet Singh Sadhu; Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Naorem Roshan Singh; Jeakson Singh, Danish Farooq, Anirudh Thapa; Yasir Mohammad, Liston Colaco; Manvir Singh.
Belarus: S.Chernik, M.Shvyatsow, N.Naumov, R.Yudenkov, N.Zolotov, V.Klimovich, E.Yablonski, A.Selyava, K.Pyachenin, P.Sedko, V.Lisakovich
India vs Belarus: Live Telecast and Streaming Details
So far, there has been no official confirmation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) about the live telecast or stream details for the game against Belarus. But earlier in the day, the AIFF said in a statement that they're trying to have the match available on the Indian Football YouTube channel.
