NT Reporter
Panaji
India will return to English soil after 24 years when they take on Jamaica in the semifinal of the Unity Cup 2026 at The Valley in London.
The Blue Tigers last played in England in 2002, also against Jamaica, when the two sides met in friendly matches in Watford and Wolverhampton.
India, ranked 136th in the FIFA rankings, enter the four-nation tournament under new head coach Khalid Jamil and will look to test themselves against higher-ranked opposition. Jamaica, ranked 71st, reached the World Cup qualifying play-offs earlier this year before losing to DR Congo.
The Unity Cup also features Nigeria and Zimbabwe, who meet in the other semifinal. The winners will progress to the final on May 30, while the losing teams will play the third-place match on the same day.
“We have selected players who performed well in the ISL. Based on that, we will continue to build the team. Whoever performs well gets selected,” said Jamil during the pre-match press conference. India arrived in London on May 24 with 17 players following the withdrawal of players from Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari joined the squad a day later, while midfielder Macarton Nickson and defender Nikhil Barla reached the camp on Tuesday. Forward Edmund Lalrindika said the tournament would serve as an important learning experience for the side.
“This is a very good exposure for us and a great experience. It is an opportunity to test ourselves against higher-ranked teams. We will try our best to get positive results,” he said.
Lalrindika also urged the Indian community in the United Kingdom to support the team in large numbers during the tournament.
“To all the Indian fans, I hope they come in big numbers and support
us,” he said.
Jamil acknowledged the challenge posed by Jamaica but stressed the importance of making a strong start in the competition.
“It is very good for us to be here and play in this tournament. Jamaica are definitely a stronger team, but we will try our best to do well,” he said. “It is important for us to make a good start. We are focused on the opening match. Then we will think about the next game. We want to go step by step,” added Jamil, who had also toured England with the national team in 2000 and 2001.
