Rival Watch: India to face Myanmar in Tri-Nation Friendly Tournament 2023

The Lions are ranked 159th in the FIFA rankings.

The Indian National team is set to kick start their Tri-Nation campaign with two friendly games that will allow Igor Stimac to experiment with his squad and try various new players as he looks to find his best possible XI for the 2023 SAFF Championships and the Asian Cup next year. The tournament will also give new youngsters an opportunity to shine on the international stage and make a fair impression in the eyes of the head coach.

With this bigger picture in mind, and with a will to give it their all for a chance to be on the roster for the Asian Cup, the Indian National team will play against Myanmar on the 22nd of March, in the inaugural game of the Tri-Nation Cup.

Recent Performances

Despite being a promising team that is in the middle of a resurrection, Myanmar have performed very poorly in their past few games. They were last in action about three months ago, when they were playing games thick and fast in the group stages of the AFF Championship. Myanmar played four games against Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia, and failed to win a solitary game. Throughout the group stage of the competition, Myanmar earned only a single point courtesy of a draw against Laos.

In fact, the Myanmar national football team didn’t register a single win throughout 2022 and are in dire need of a good performance in the upcoming two games to give the team a boost for the games in the future.

About The Team

Myanmar are currently ranked 159th in the FIFA Men’s national team rankings and are a team that has once again gone on a downward slope, after showing promising signs of resurgence in the past decade.

It is fair to say that since the commencement of this new decade, Myanmar national team’s fortunes have taken a disastrous turn, as they have struggled to register victories in almost all of their competitive games since Covid started.

In fact, in 2022, they lost 6-0 to Thailand in the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, further stretching their poor run of form.

Their recent scrutiny in the AFF Championship was another clear indication that the team is in a pretty bad situation, and need to make radical changes towards betterment, for a brighter future in football.

The Coach

Although the Myanmar National team have had their fair share of struggles in recent years, the entire footballing fanbase would actually be excited to see their team play for the very first time under their new head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner.

After their poor streak in the AFF Championship, The Myanmar football federation bid farewell to their manager Antonie Hey, and after careful inspection, assigned Michael Feichtenbeiner the role of managing the Myanmar National team. Feichtenbeiner is a German football manager, who has over 22 years of experience, has managed clubs in the German second division, and has also played and defeated some of the biggest clubs in Germany like Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg.

The 62-year-old veteran was also the head coach of The Malaysian National team and has also had stints at numerous clubs in the nation.

Michael’s preferred formation is 4-3-3, and he is known to be a manager who demands fierce attacking gameplay and believes in making optimal use of the wingers, as he encourages play from the sidelines. The German’s previous performances also show that he likes to play from the back, and believes in the concept of patient ball progression.

Players to Watch

Nanda Kyaw

Nanda plays at the left-back position for Myanmar National League side Shan United and is a very attack-minded player. The 26-year-old can also play as a left winger, and has amazing crossing abilities added to the treacherous pace he has with the ball at his feet.

Especially now with the appointment of new head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, who himself is such a big fan of attacking football, we can see Nanda get a great opportunity to shine for his team, and make full use of his amazing abilities.

Yan Naing Oo

Myanmar’s captain Yan Naing Oo is one of the most capped players in the national team’s squad and has a lot of potential and talent. The 26-year-old plays as an attacking midfielder and is very well known for his incredible playmaking abilities.

He is a regular starter for his club Yangon United, and will definitely be a key player who will be given the responsibility to unlock India’s rigid defensive backline on Wednesday.

What to Expect

Although Mynamar can come across as a team that can be beaten easily, we must not forget the unpredictability of football, as we never know what can happen on that pitch. The home advantage will certainly work in the favour of India, and Myanmar will have a tough challenge on their hands, as they will have to face a hostile crowd in Imphal.

Under their new coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, Myanmar will be with a renewed and confident mentality and would try to go all in to get the victory against a very tough opponent.

India must not take the game on Wednesday lightly in any sense whatsoever and should be sharp and on point throughout the game if they want a good result against Myanmar.