Indian football team to clash against Bhutan ahead of Bangladesh game

Khalid Jamil’s Indian football team will face Bhutan in a closed-door friendly on Thursday.

The Indian national football team has fallen off the tracks since their 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign in Qatar. Igor Stimac was sacked after his side’s underwhelming performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

Manolo Marquez took over the job in 2024, but the Spaniard, too, failed to ignite his side before leaving the role in July 2025. Post Marquez’s departure, Khalid Jamil took over the role and helped India to a third-placed finish in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.

However, despite being the highest-ranked team in their qualification group, the Blue Tigers can no longer qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 after abysmal results against Bangladesh, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

With two AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier games remaining, India will only play for one thing – Pride. However, before their game against Bangladesh, Khalid Jamil’s side will play a friendly against Bhutan.

India to play Bhutan on Thursday

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced that the Indian men’s football team will play against Bhutan on 13th November 2025. This will be an important match for those who are eager to make their mark on the national team.

India and Bhutan will lock horns in Bengaluru, likely at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence. However, no spectators will be allowed entry as the game will be played behind closed doors, as announced by the AIFF.

Khalid Jamil will be responsible for rebuilding the Indian football team!

Owing to poor performances in the qualifiers, the Indian football team failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the third time in a row. The Blue Tigers will travel to play against Bangladesh on 18th November before welcoming Hong Kong on 31st March 2026 to end their group stage campaign.

Since the 2-1 loss to Singapore, a lot has changed within the Indian national football team. Sunil Chhetri has announced that he will no longer be sporting the national colours, also hinting at retirement from the game at the end of the season.

AIFF has also taken major steps to include players of Indian origin in the national team. Bengaluru FC’s Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti, an Indian-origin defender, playing in the Bolivian first division, have been called up for the training camp.

With major changes afoot, all eyes will be on Khalid Jamil to spearhead the transformation as the Indian football team enters a new era.

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