India set to play friendly against China in October
The Blue Tigers will look to continue their preparations ahead of next year's AFC Asian Cup.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have confirmed its senior National team’s participation in the scheduled FIFA October 2018 window for an International Friendly against China.
The Indian National Team, FIFA ranked 97th (as per June FIFA Rankings ranking) will travel to Beijing to play against the 75th ranked (as per June FIFA Rankings) China national team during the October 8-16, 2018 FIFA window. Though the date for the Friendly will be decided in coming days, AIFF has proposed Saturday, October 13, 2018, as the match day.
India and China historically have each other faced 17 times, all on Indian soil -- the last being 21 years ago for the Nehru Cup in Kochi in 1997. However, recently, the India U-16 National team visited China for an invitational four-nation tournament which also included U-16 Thailand and U-16 DPR Korea.
The October International Friendly assumes huge importance as it will set the pace for India’s preparatory process for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup (January 2019) in UAE.
Terming the occasion as ‘historic,’ All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das commented: “China and India are today being seen as the two fastest emerging football markets, globally. We are happy to have come to the conclusion of our month-long discussion with the Chinese FA, and I thank our marketing partners FSDL for their involvement and cooperation.”
ALSO READ
India name 25-man squad for U-20 COTIF Tournament in Spain
Mohun Bagan in advanced talks with potential sponsor for upcoming season
Melbourne City arrive in Kochi ahead of Toyota Yaris La Liga World
“The opportunity presents us with an opportunity not just break the two-decade deadlock, but also provides us with a chance to revive the neighbouring rivalry,” he added.
For the record, India are yet to win a match against China. Off the past 17 matches, 12 have gone in favour of China while rest 5 were drawn. However, the Indian National Team has been on an upsurge over the last couple of years, maintaining an unbeaten run of 12 official matches for a span which extended from June 2016 to November 2017.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]National Coach Stephen Constantine expressed satisfaction over AIFF’s efforts in scheduling the away tie against China and stated that the team needs to prepare in the best possible fashion for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
"With an eye on the preparation for the Asian Cup, as a coach, I couldn’t have asked for anything better than an opponent like China. I am sure the boys will make the best of the opportunity presented to us and look forward to test ourselves ahead of the AFC competition.”
Latest News
- Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast
- New York City vs Colorado Rapids Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast
- Roma vs Juventus Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast
- Liverpool join rivals Manchester United in race for Japanese star Takefusa Kubo
- Liverpool vs Tottenham Predicted lineup, betting tips, odds, injury news, H2H, telecast
Trending Articles
- Coach Habas helped us believe in ourselves, says Mohun Bagan forward Dimitri Petratos
- The vision of the academy is to identify young talented footballers, says U-19 RFYC asst. coach Saksham Kakkar
- Looking back at all the ISL finals
- Report: Jamie Maclaren has two more offers apart from Mohun Bagan
- Want to do something for Indian football, says Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav
Editor Picks
- Which players will miss ISL 2023-24 final?
- Mohun Bagan should also be worried about us, says Alberto Noguera before ISL final
- Packed crowd is extra motivation to do well, says Mumbai City FC coach Petr Kratky
- ISL 2023-24 Final: Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC: Live streaming, TV channel, kick-off time & where to watch
- ISL 2023-24 Final: Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC: Preview, Predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details