The Indian football team will face Bangladesh in their opening fixture of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers third-round match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Tuesday.

Following their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after a defeat against Qatar in June, the Blue Tigers have now shifted their focus to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. India's quest to secure a spot in the 19th edition of the continental tournament begins against the Bengal Tigers in Meghalaya’s capital, a team they have historically dominated.

India recently secured a crucial 3-0 victory over the Maldives in a friendly match, marking their first win under head coach Manolo Márquez. The Men in Blue will be eager to build on this momentum, having finally broken a 16-month winless streak.

While India is aiming to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the third consecutive time, Bangladesh has only qualified once, back in 1980. However, the addition of Hamza Choudhury, a former England youth international and Leicester City star, has significantly bolstered Bangladesh’s midfield ahead of this crucial encounter.

India has been placed in Group C alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with only the group winner advancing to the final qualification round. Marquez’s men will look to capitalize on home advantage against Bangladesh as they strive for a strong start to their third-round qualification campaign.

Head-to-head record

India has a dominant record against the neighbouring side in this subcontinental rivalry, having gone unbeaten in 24 of their last 28 meetings. The forthcoming match will mark the 29th face-off between the two sides since the first one at the 1978 Asian Games.

India’s last defeat against Bangladesh came at the 2003 SAFF Championship semi-final two decades ago, where the Blue Tigers succumbed to a 2-1 in extra time in Dhaka. Interestingly, the Indian football team is unbeaten at home against their continental rival.

India and Bangladesh squared off twice in the SAFF Championship final, where the Blue Tigers emerged victorious on both occasions, in 1999 and 2005. These two countries also found themselves in the same group in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers round, where India shared spoils in Kolkata and secured all three points in the reverse fixture.

India’s latest meeting against Bangladesh took place in the 2021 SAFF Championship, where both teams played out a 1-1 draw.

Match played—28

India won—14

Bangladesh won– 4

Draw – 10

What the coaches said

India head coach Manolo Marquez urged his players to showcase their potential in the qualifying fixtures to make it to the final round. The Spanish head coach urged his players to get a positive result against Bangladesh to kick off the third-round qualification campaign on a high note.

"The first game is always important. It's a short competition, only the top team qualifies for the tournament," Marquez said at the pre-match press conference.

"There are six games and we need to finish first. We want to get the maximum points possible to qualify for Saudi Arabia," he added.

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera showered faith in his team's performance and voiced his confidence ahead of the game in Shillong. The Spaniard anticipated a tough game against the Blue Tigers.

"I think it's going to be a very exciting game. We are very motivated. The team has been training and working hard for 24 days already, which is a long time, honestly," Cabrera shared.

"We are confident, stronger than ever, and expect a tight game. Hopefully, we will make things very difficult for India," he continued.

Match Details

Fixture: India vs Bangladesh

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong

Date: Wednesday 25, 2025

Streaming and Telecast: Star Sports 3, Jio Hotstar

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2024-2025