Bangladesh are hoping to start their AFC Asian Cup qualifiers campaign on top notch as they face their arch-rival India in the much-anticipated match to be held tomorrow (Tuesday).
The match kicks off at 7.30 PM (BST) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, India.
Bangladesh and India have faced each other 31 times where India won 16 matches, 13 ended in draws and Bangladesh won two games.
In the latest FIFA ranking, Bangladesh is at 185, where India took the place of 126.
Despite a significant FIFA ranking gap, recent encounters demonstrated the capacity to be a formidable opponent.
In the last five fixtures, four ended in draws and India won one.
Bangladesh will be boosted by the presence of former Leicester City star midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who is likely to make his debut in this match.
Despite recent challenges concerning training facilities in Shillong, the Bangladeshi coach and captain are determined not to use them as excuses.
Coach Javier Cabrera and Captain Jamal Bhuyan both emphasised the team's readiness to win, expressing their desire to put aside any past issues.
On the contrary, India will begin their Asian Cup qualifying campaign against Bangladesh. This will be the first time Shillong hosts a qualifying match in history, and the home side have a lot of expectations on their shoulders.
The men in blue recently played a friendly match against the Maldives and won by 3-0.
However, the boys in red and green are going to play their first international match of this year after ending 2024 on a decent note.
They won three of their four matches last year, including two friendlies.
NSA
