Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez is determined to secure all three points as the Blue Tigers lock horns with Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers final round at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on June 10.

The Blue Tigers are set to face the Hong Kong side on their home soil for the first time in 16 years. Since their first meeting in 1951, India has played 24 matches against Hong Kong and remained unbeaten on 16 occasions.

Marquez’s men played out a goalless draw against Bangladesh in the opening fixture of this final round. Meanwhile, Singapore and Hong Kong also shared the points in the other Group C fixture, leaving all four teams level on points.

India began their preparatory camp on May 19 in Kolkata. Since then, the Blue Tigers played a friendly against Thailand and have been training in Hong Kong over the past few days.

Marquez acknowledged that his team is charged up to take on the Hong Kong side in this crucial fixture.

“Our preparations have been much better this time, if we compare with the previous FIFA windows, where you practically don’t have too much time. We had about three weeks to prepare, between Kolkata, Bangkok, and here in Hong Kong. And we are ready to perform. Nothing special,” Marquez said in the pre-match press conference.

“The environment in the team is quite good as well. Obviously, in all teams across the world, the environment is better when you are winning games constantly. But the environment, the relationship between the players, regardless of the results, is very good,” he continued.

India succumbed to a 0-2 defeat against Thailand in a friendly last week. Despite the loss, Marquez remained optimistic, believing it would not affect their performance against Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“In my opinion, most coaches are not worried about the scores in the friendly games. We are focusing on the important match (Hong Kong),” the head coach said.

“I know everyone speaks about the score (against Thailand). But if we (had) scored from the chances we created, it would have been different. This is football,” he added.

The newly inaugurated fifty-thousand-seat Kai Tak Stadium is set to host the high-voltage fixture. Marquez expects a strong away crowd presence and urged his players to give their best performance to secure their first win in this round.

“We will try to enjoy the situation in this stadium. I don’t know if it will be completely full, but a lot of people will be there. It will be a nice event, but obviously, we are focusing on winning the game,” Marquez remarked.

Defender Chinglensana Singh, who accompanied the head coach at the pre-match press conference, echoed the coach’s confidence in securing three points, saying the team is fully prepared after their thorough preparations.

“We are well prepared for tomorrow, mentally and physically, after three weeks in the camp. We are ready for the game," he said.

Match Details

Fixture: Hong Kong vs India

Date: June 10, 2025

Time: 5:30 PM IST

Venue: Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon

Live Streaming: FanCode

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Manolo Márquez2024-2025