Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 to be played in Bhubaneswar in June
The competition will commence on June 9.
After the grand success of the Hero Tri-Nation International Football Tournament in Manipur, it is now time for Bhubaneswar to host the Senior Men's National Team, as it gets ready to hold the Hero Intercontinental Cup in June.
The four-team Hero Intercontinental Cup will be played in the FIFA International Window from June 9 to 18, with hosts India being joined by Lebanon, Mongolia and Vanuatu in the tournament.
This will be the third edition of the Hero Intercontinental Cup, with the previous two being held in Mumbai (2018) and Ahmedabad (2019).
Federation Secretary General Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran welcomed Odisha into the fold of senior Men's International football, saying, “Imphal had experienced the joy of International football in March, and now it's Bhubaneswar's turn to join the country's growing map of international venues for men’s football.
QUICK READ: Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019: Travelling Syrian fans share inspirational story
“Bhubaneswar was one of the venues of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and with that, we have seen some excellent infrastructure being developed by the Government of Odisha,” he said. “It is a legacy that the U-17 Women's World Cup has left behind and has paved the path for the Senior Men's National Team to now play in the city for the first time in its history.
“If you look at what happened in Manipur, it was held for the first time, and that way we are confident that fans in Odisha will display equal enthusiasm for the event,” said Dr Prabhakaran. “We are also hopeful that Odisha football will benefit greatly from hosting the Hero Intercontinental Cup.”
The Indian Men’s National Team had previously never played against Mongolia and Vanuatu. Against Lebanon, the hosts hold a record of playing six matches.
The Blue Tigers are currently on a five-match unbeaten streak on home turf, a run that began on June 8, 2022, with a 2-0 win over Cambodia in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers Round 3 in Kolkata. Since then, Igor Stimac's boys have defeated Afghanistan (2-1), Hong Kong (4-0), and then on to the Hero Tri-Nation, where they beat Myanmar (1-0) and the Kyrgyz Republic (2-0) in Imphal.
- I-League 2024-25: Inter Kashi start their campaign with a hard-fought win
- Top 10 highest goalscorers in football history
- Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: All-time goals & stats comparison
- Cristiano Ronaldo: List of all goals for Al Nassr
- Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate Javier Mascherano set to become Inter Miami head coach
- Ashutosh Mehta on ISL comeback, national team call-up, relationship with Khalid Jamil & more
- Petr Kratky highlights this Mumbai City FC player's performance against Kerala Blasters
- Mohun Bagan not be fined by AFC after recognising their case as 'Event of Force Majeure'
- How much bonus did Vinicius Jr miss out on after losing Ballon d'Or 2024 award?
- Mats Hummels' girlfriend: Meet Nicola Cavanis, her job, Instagram & more
- Top 10 highest goalscorers in football history
- Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: All-time goals & stats comparison
- Cristiano Ronaldo: List of all goals for Al Nassr
- I-League 2024-25: Full fixtures, schedule, results, standings & more
- Jose Molina outlines how Dimitri Petratos can rediscover top form for Mohun Bagan