Khalid Jamil’s side begin run of friendlies against World Cup teams
New Delhi: Three years after lifting the SAFF Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, the Indian men’s national team return to familiar territory, to begin a demanding run of international friendlies with a first-ever meeting against Panama. The match will kick off at 7.30 p.m. today.
The Central American side are the first of three teams from the 2026 FIFA World Cup that India will face, with Brazil and Uruguay to follow in Kolkata on October 3 and 6, respectively. Panama may be the lowest-ranked of the three, but at 44th in the FIFA rankings, they remain 94 places above India and present an immediate test for Khalid Jamil’s side.
Panama will become the eighth CONCACAF nation to face India. The Blue Tigers’ previous 14 matches against teams from the confederation have produced two wins, two draws and 10 defeats.
India will be eager to arrest a four-match winless run. Following defeats against Jamaica and Zimbabwe at the Unity Cup in London, the Blue Tigers lost 1-3 to Tajikistan before playing a 1-1 draw in the second friendly. Their last victory, a 2-1 win against Hong Kong on March 31, came on the last matchday of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
The challenge is considerable, but Jamil wants his players to embrace the opportunity rather than be overawed by the visitors’ ranking and World Cup pedigree. “It is our pleasure to play with a team of their calibre. They have a quality coach and good players, so we are looking forward to playing with them,” the India head coach said at the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
While India will need to remain compact against a technically and physically strong opponent, Jamil made it clear that his team cannot afford to spend the entire evening defending. “We are playing against a strong team. But at the same time, you cannot defend every time. So, we will mix defence and attack. We will react according to the situation,” he said.
India were unbeaten in five matches at the Kanteerava during the 2023 SAFF Championship, scoring eight goals and conceding two before overcoming Lebanon and Kuwait in successive penalty shootouts to lift the trophy.
