The Indian football team will settle for nothing less than a win in their final Intercontinental Cup fixture as they take on Syria at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Monday.

The Blue Tigers played out a goalless draw against Mauritius in the opening fixture of this tri-nation tournament. In the following match, Syria secured a 2-0 victory over the 179th-ranked team, bringing them closer to the trophy.

With Mauritius knocked out of the tournament, the upcoming game between India and Syria is virtually the final. Manolo Márquez’s men will be eyeing a win against Syria to claim their second consecutive Intercontinental Cup title.

India and Syria have shared an intense rivalry since their first meeting at the Nehru Cup in 2007. However, the Blue Tigers suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Syria in their recent faceoff at the AFC Asian Cup in January, which ended their third-round qualification hopes.

As the two-time Intercontinental Cup champions host Syria on their home turf in this crucial tie, Márquez’s team will be determined to showcase their full potential to defend the title against the 93rd-ranked side.

The Spanish head coach urged his players to put on a promising performance against Syria, emphasizing his possession-based attacking football. He anticipates a challenging match, with the title in sight.

"It will be a difficult game for both sides. It's a friendly game, but the team that wins the game wins the trophy. We expect to play a good game and win the tournament," he stated in a pre-match press conference.

"If you ask me, I prefer to play a good game than to win the tournament. I don't want to win it 1-0, scoring with the hand. I want that, at this moment, the team understands our ideas and we play better because, finally, it's not about winning or losing. You need to arrive at a style of play, and that's what we are focusing on. Obviously, when you win, the confidence grows, and then it's easier. But finally, now it's about that we believe that we can compete against all the teams. When you have time to work, the possibilities for success are more," Marquez further added, shedding light on his strategies.

Despite failing to get on the scoresheet, the Blue Tigers dominated possession and registered more attempts on goal against Mauritius. The Spanish head coach emphasized the importance of having additional preparation time to implement a new system but expressed his satisfaction with his players’ hard work and commitment.

“I am quite satisfied with the attitude with which the guys have been working. What’s most important at this stage is to understand where we are at this moment,” the head coach said.

“It’s not like we will train one week and then see where we stand. We understand it will take time to make things happen. Even at clubs, you need more than a regular pre-season to adapt to the style that we as a staff want to implement,” he added.

Jay Gupta accompanied Marquez in the pre-match press conference against the do-or-die match against Syria.

Acknowledging the significance of this fixture, Gupta said, "Obviously, it's a game where we have to fight for the cup, but we're just focused on how we adapt to what the coach wants as soon as possible."

The FC Goa defender also expressed his delight at having the Spaniard as the national team's head coach, having previously played under him in the ISL.

"I think a lot of players have already been under coach Manolo for a longer time (in the clubs), so they would know how to adapt to him. But I just wanted to say the atmosphere in the dressing room is really, really positive. Thanks to the AIFF who chose coach Manolo, we feel very positive, and we do believe in what he asks, and as long as we do that, we know we will go in the right direction. So the dressing room is very happy that we have somebody that we can believe in," the defender further added.

Just as India have begun a new era under Márquez, Syria has also welcomed José Lana as their new head coach.

The 49-year-old Spaniard anticipates a challenging task, having closely analyzed the Blue Tigers' playing style under Márquez.

"I think India are a great team. I like the way they play with this coach. They try to move the ball fast. I think it will be a difficult match for us. And our only objective for tomorrow is to be better than our previous match," Lana said.

Speaking in context, the Syrian coach further added, "I think they have good organization. They know how to play when they don't have the ball. They try to press high. And when they have the ball, they try to play faster and move the ball from side to side."

Match Details

Fixture: India vs Syria

Date: September 9, 2024

Venue: GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Live Telecast: Sports 18 3

Live Streaming: JioCinema

Related tags:

2024-2025