Preparations in the Indian men’s national team camp are now going in full swing in Kolkata as the Blue Tigers prepare to face Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Final Round match on June 10. Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam feels that the friendly match against Thailand on June 4 will be the ideal way to prepare for the crucial match in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Thailand Friendly a Key Test says Suresh Singh Wangjam
“The positive aspect is that we will be playing a friendly against Thailand, who are a like-opponent, in my view,” Suresh added. “We received 15 to 20 days of vacation after the local season, and we began our camp on the 18th of this month. We are becoming fit day by day, and it is extremely necessary to play an international friendly game ahead of Hong Kong. So, it will be a very good test and we will understand where we stand.”
The previous meeting between India and Thailand (1-0 victory for the Blue Tigers in June 2019) saw Wangjam still playing for the Indian Arrows and not having his senior international debut yet. Yet, he has previously taken on Hong Kong a 4-0 victory at the last AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kolkata in June 2022.
Tough Challenge Against Hong Kong
“We played against Hong Kong last time in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. They were a good team, well organised, so it will be a very tough game, especially away from home. We are preparing well. It’s been six sessions here, and we’re looking sharper day by day. Everyone knows that only one team will qualify for the Asian Cup, so it’s very important for us to take as many points as we can,” said the Bengaluru FC man.
At 33 appearances for now, that is Wangjam’s largest victory in India blue so far. Yet the 24-year-old remembered that even with what the score was implying, it wasn’t a simple game at all.
New Format and Qualification Roadmap
The final Asian Cup Qualifiers took place in a centralised venue in a one-round-robin format because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AFC returned to the traditional home-and-away format for the final stage of the qualifiers this time, so each team will have six matches over 12 months from March 2025 until March 2026.
India’s Group C has Bangladesh, Singapore, and Hong Kong, whom the Blue Tigers held 0-0 on matchday one. Only the group’s winner will secure a spot in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.
Suresh Singh Wangjam: One Match at a Time
“If you ask any player or staff, the long-term goal is to qualify for the Asian Cup, but we have to take it game by game. For now, we are only focusing on Hong Kong. The fans are always behind us. Just be with us through thick and thin.
“Hong Kong are in good form, but we will be just focusing on ourselves. We have been analysing our opponents and we’ll stick to our plan and see what happens when we go out and play against them,” said Wangjam.
