With the inaugural edition of the Hero Intercontinental Cup getting underway at the Mumbai Football Arena from Friday onward, the football fans will lay witness to their favourite Indian stars taking on the likes of New Zealand, Chinese Taipei and Kenya. Though India is ranked the highest in the current FIFA World Rankings (97) when compared to the participating three teams, the challenge that each team brings to the table is completely unique.

A day prior to the commencement of the Cup, the respective coach and captain from each of the three visiting nations spoke to the media in the pre-match press conference. Kenya assistant coach Francis Kimanji and captain Musa Mohammed were the first to be present, where Kimanji started off by showing his gratitude for the opportunity given to his side. “First I would like to take the opportunity to thank the organisers for the job that has been done to get us to India. We want to participate honourably for every single match.”

Despite compiling a team studded with youth players, Kimanji remains confident that Kenya can put up a stern challenge in the tournament. “We have a young side with players that are locally based in Kenya. We were forced to pick them because our league is still on. If an opportunity is provided, the ones that are available can still be tested. With young players, they will give everything they have to achieve what they want.”

From New Zealand’s corner, captain Thomas Doyle spoke about the team’s excitement on arriving in India and their eagerness to get started. “It is very exciting, just to be here. We don’t get the opportunity to play a lot of games in our window. There are a lot of hopeful players coming through. We are eager to get started on the tournament.”

The All Whites head coach Fritz Schmid, who was present alongside Doyle, shed light on the quality of players at his disposal. “I would say that it is a side with new and promising players. They have shown potential and made themselves aware. I need to have a big assessment of my opportunities, being a new coach.”

Furthermore, Schmid shared his thoughts on the current Indian squad and their chances in the days ahead. “I know the situation. The Indian team is looking forward to the Asian Cup. There has been a lot of effort already, which means the importance of the tournament for the Indian side is very clear. So we must be prepared to face a very tough side.”

Finally, Gary White, the head coach of the Chinese Taipei national team, took questions from the media. White had tasted success against India in the past as a coach of the Guam national team and thus, remained hopeful that his side was capable of causing an upset at the tournament. “We know that India is a strong team and they are definitely on the up. But we are learning as a team and we have made some massive strides recently,” he informed. “We have 10 U-23 players, so it is good for our future. The players are motivated. For some of these guys, it is their first time and so it can be special for them.”