From India U23 to senior team: Mohammed Sanan & Macarton Nickson ready for Brazil test

Both youngsters are gunning to play against World Cup sides.

Mohammed Sanan and Macarton Nickson’s journey together has progressed from the India U23 camp to the senior national team, and the two youngsters are now preparing for one of the biggest challenges of their careers.

India will face Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 25 before taking on five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time champions Uruguay on October 6 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.

Having spent considerable time together in the U23 national camps, Sanan and Nickson understand each other’s qualities well.

MD Sanan and Nickson relish challenges against big nations

For Sanan, Nickson’s ability to find teammates with passes from midfield is the most impressive part of his game.

“I really like the way he plays, especially his through passes, the way he dribbles and takes on his players. I’ve been playing with him for a long time. We were together in the U23 camp, and now we are here again in the senior team camp, so I know him quite well.”

“What I like about him the most is the through passes he gives. That’s my favourite thing about him,” said Sanan.

Nickson, meanwhile, admires Sanan’s fearlessness and willingness to run directly at defenders, irrespective of the opposition.

“I think he takes on defenders one-v-one and he’s not scared, whoever it is. He just goes for them and enjoys the game. As he said, it’s been a long time for us. We’ve been together for a while, so I really enjoy watching him play and take on players,” said the midfielder.

That understanding could prove valuable as India prepare to confront three World Cup-playing teams during the upcoming international window. While the stature and quality of Brazil and Uruguay make the fixtures extraordinary, Sanan does not believe India should change their preparation.

“The preparation will stay the same. We’ve been working hard to play and get better. We’ll just listen to the coach and whatever he says, we’ll try to apply that in the matches. Of course, they’re going to be difficult games, but the preparation is still the same,” he said.

“We are prepared with that mindset”: Sanan

For Sanan, facing players whom the youngsters have watched and learned from will be an important experience. However, he stressed that India must remain focused on their tactical responsibilities.

“As I said, the approach will be the same. We have to listen to what the coach is saying, understand the tactics, and implement what he wants from us when we play against them. We’ve been watching these players and trying to learn things from them, so it’s going to be a very good experience for us.”

“But we are playing against them, so we are prepared with that mindset, have been training hard and listening to the coach.”

Nickson echoed Sanan’s thoughts, saying the players are approaching the matches with excitement but without allowing the occasion to distract them from the team’s plan.

“We are trying to stay focused and work according to what the coach tells us and according to the plan. We’re not thinking too much. We are ready and very excited,” he said.

Nickson also believes his experience of playing against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup will help him embrace the upcoming challenge.

“It was a nice opportunity to play against big teams. It was a good opportunity for us to test ourselves there in the UK. This kind of exposure helps us grow, and we are ready for the upcoming challenge at home now.”

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