Kolkata : India are set to face Bangladesh on March 25, 2025 at Shillong for AFC Asian Cup Qualifier.
Both India and Bangladesh are in Group A alongwith Singapore and Hong Kong and the group winner will find direct qualification in Asian Cup (2027) at Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Indian Head coach Manolo Márquez has emphasized today’s match also stating this as final.
Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera, has been in-charge of the Bangladesh since 2022. The 40-year-old has prior Indian connection, having served as the assistant coach of Sporting Clube de Goa between 2013 and 2015. Captain and midfielder Jamal Bhuyan, who has the highest caps in Bangladesh history at 87, has also been involved in Indian football, playing for Mohammedan Sporting in 2020-21.
The highlight of the Bangladesh squad is 27-year-old midfielder Hamza Choudhury, a former England youth international, represented Leicester in Premier League, recently received his Bangladeshi passport and switched allegiance to the country of his mother’s birth.
Other key players in Cabrera’s squad include experienced midfielder Sohel Rana, defender Topu Barman, who is the highest international scorer in the squad with 6 goals, young midfielders Shekh Morsalin and Mojibur Rahman Jony, and forward Rakib Hossain. Five-time Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings predominate the national squad, with as many as 11 players hailing from the club.
As far as the FIFA Rankings are concerned, Bangladesh are ranked 185th, 59 places below India, who are at 126th currently.
While India are aiming to qualify for the Asian Cup for the 3rd successive time, Bangladesh have only qualified once before – in 1980.
In the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2, Bangladesh finished Group I winless and in last place with a solitary point from a draw at home against Lebanon, while suffering heavy defeats against Australia and Palestine.
In September 2024, they got a win and a loss against Bhutan in two friendlies. In November, they lost 0-1 and won 2-1 in two friendlies against Maldives, the same opponents India beat 3-0 last Wednesday.
The last senior-level meeting (between India and Bangladesh) in the 2021 SAFF Championship ended in a 1-1 draw, with Sunil Chhetri finding the net. The India captain has netted six of India’s last 7 goals against Bangladesh, who are statistically one of his favourite international opponents. He also scored the penalty in the 1-0 win in the 2023 Asian Games, where he was included as one of the over-aged players in the U23 squad.
To search for Bangladesh’s last win over India, you have to go back more than two decades when they won 2-1 in extra time at the 2003 SAFF Championship semi-final in Dhaka. On Indian soil, the Blue Tigers have never lost to the Bangladesh.
Defender Sandesh Jhingan kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win against Bangladesh in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in 2021 and also played alongside Chhetri as one of the over-aged players at the 2023 Asian Games. He said, “Whenever we face Bangladesh, we always know that it’s going to be a game with a lot of passion and high intensity. Of course, they are our neighbours, so you can expect that, not just in football, but in every sport.
“The last time we faced them was at the Asian Games in China. It was a tough game, we eked out a 1-0 win. Before too, in the World Cup Qualifiers, it was a narrow victory.”
“I expect them to be at their best and you cannot take any game easily, especially when you come into the Qualifiers and the weight of those three points is a lot,” said Jhingan. “Whoever the opponents are, we have to play at our full potential and we’ll get the job done.”
Head-to-Head Records:
India has historically dominated Bangladesh, securing 14 victories, suffering 4 defeats, and drawing 10 times in their 28 meetings. Bangladesh’s last win over India came in the 2003 SAFF Championship semi-final.
India: 14
Bangladesh: 4
Draws: 10
As for India, they’ll be heading to the clash after confident 3-0 victory over Maldives in friendly encounter, including one goal (95th) from Sunil Chhetri, who returned to the squad reversing retirement. His leadership will be crucial for Indian team in the Qualifier round.
Stating Chhetri’s vital impact in the team, Marquez said, “Sunil is a legend in Indian football and the top scorer this season.”
In addition, young talents like Liston Colaco and Ayush Dev Chhetri have recently delivered impressive performances, strengthening the team.
India will be without Brandon Fernandes, who picked up an injury in the recent Maldives match. However, Udanta Singh and Macarton Louis Jackson have rejoined the squad for this fixture. On the other hand, Bangladesh will have a fully fit squad available for selection.
Recent Form (Excluding friendlies) :
India : L, D, L, D, L
Bangladesh : L, L, L, L, D
India vs Bangladesh Probable Playing XI :
India (4-2-3-1): Vishal Kaith; Rahul Bheke, Valpuia, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose; Lalengmawia Ralte, Ayush Chhetri; Farukh Choudhary, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Liston Colaco; Sunil Chhetri
Bangladesh (4-3-3): Mitul Marma; Saad Uddin, Shakil Hossain, Topu Barman, Isa Faysal; Hamza Choudhury, Mohammad Ridoy, Jamal Bhuyan; Al-Amin, Rakib Hossain, Shahriar Emon.
When and where is India vs Bangladesh, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match ?
The India vs Bangladesh football match in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match kicks off at 7:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong
Where to watch India Vs Bangladesh AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match ?
The India Vs Bangladesh, AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers match will be streamed live on JioHotstar (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam) and one can watch the live telecast on Star Sports – 3 (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam), Asianet Plus (Malayalam).
