Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023: India square off against Vanuatu

The Blue Tigers will aim to secure a second successive win in the group.

India face Vanuatu in their next Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 fixture. The game takes place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on 12 June 2023. Igor Stimac’s men won their first outing of the tournament against Mongolia by a 2-0 scoreline, thanks to goals from Sahal Abdul Samad and Lallianzuala Chhangte.

India are heavy favourites to replicate their excellent performance and win against Vanuatu. It does not help their opponents who lost their opening game of the tournament against Lebanon by a 3-1 scoreline.

As the fixture nears and the excitement of the fans rises, here is what one can expect from the Vanuatu vs India clash at the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023:

The Stakes

Vanuatu

Vanuatu were on the receiving end of a defeat against Lebanon on 9 June 2023 - their first game of the Hero Intercontinental Cup. The 164th-ranked team in FIFA Rankings gave a good account of themselves against a team which is ranked 99th. It took a strong second-half performance by the Cedars to defeat Vanuatu.

While they are the underdogs against India, who are playing in their own backyard, Vanuatu will back themselves to cause an upset and at least hold the Blue Tigers to a draw.

India

A win will confirm a place in the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 final for India. Their win against Mongolia did not come as a surprise due to the massive gap in the quality between the teams. Similarly, the Blue Tigers are stronger on paper and will look to secure a comfortable win against Vanuatu to set up an exciting game against Lebanon.

Igor Stimac would want his players to get into a comfortable lead early on and give some of the squad players game-time while resting key players for the remaining matches.

Injury & Team News

Vanuatu and India have full-strength squads available for selection ahead of the fixture.

Head-to-Head

This is the first competitive meeting between the senior teams of Vanuatu and India. In an U-19 clash in the past, India defeated Vanuatu by a 1-0 scoreline. The game took place in 2019 as part of the OFC Developmental Tournament.

Predicted Line-ups

Vanuatu (4-5-1)

Massing Kalotang (GK), Brian Kaltak, Jason Thomas, Raoul Coulon, Timothy Loic, John Wohale, Jonathan Spokey, Godin Tenene, Lee Taiwia, Jordy Tasip, Azariah Soromon.

India (4-2-3-1)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco, Sunil Chhetri.

Player to Watch

Brian Kaltak (Vanuatu)

Brian Kaltak is the skipper of the Vanuatu men’s national team. The sturdy defender plays for the Australian side Central Coast Mariners and won the 2022-23 A-League with them recently. The 29-year-old is crucial to the side’s performance and has the responsibility to stop the Indian attackers from creating scoring chances.

His experience is key for Vanuatu and the management will take positives from the side’s first-half performance against Lebanon in the previous outing. It falls on Brian Kaltak to lead his defensive line well and restrict Indian attackers like Sunil Chhetri from scoring.

Sahal Abdul Samad (India)

Sahal Abdul Samad deserves to retain his place in the starting line-up for the India-Vanuatu fixture. His performance against Mongolia was top-notch and one that gave fans a lot of joy. The attacking midfielder is relishing the opportunity to play as a No.10, scoring the opening goal in the previous game. If Vanuatu defenders are not careful, then Sahal can create a scoring chance out of thin air.

Did You Know?

• Sumit Rathi scored the winning goal in India U-19’s 1-0 win over Vanuatu U-19 in 2019.
• Indian men’s national team is currently on a three-match winning streak.
• Sahal Abdul Samad was born in the United Arab Emirates.

Telecast

The match between Vanuatu and India will take place on 12 June 2023 at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. It will kick off at 7:30 PM IST and will be telecasted on the Star Sports Network. Disney+Hotstar and JioTV will live stream the fixture.