Igor Stimac's men are in Nepal to play two international friendlies against the hosts...
As the Indian national team prepare for the 2021 SAFF Championship in the Maldives that will be held in October, 2021, and eventually the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers from February, 2022, the Blue Tigers are set to take on Nepal in a couple of friendlies.
"We have set our target for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 and the journey resumes from Nepal once again," reiterated India head coach Igor Stimac.
"Just to get an opportunity to play a friendly game is really fortunate for us, thanks to the Nepal government and the Nepal FA. They are a very tough side, especially when they play against us," Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri commented from Nepal.
In fact, the friendlies will serve as preparation for the Gorkhalis as well, as the two countries will be at loggerheads in the group stage of the SAFF Cup that also includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Here's how to watch the Nepal vs India international friendlies from India.
Contents
When are the Nepal vs India international friendlies? How to watch Nepal vs India international friendlies Nepal vs India: Squads, team news & key statisticsWhen are the Nepal vs India international friendlies?
The Indian national team are all set to play two international friendly matches against neighbours Nepal on September 2 and 5 at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
| Date | Time (IST) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | 5:30pm | Nepal vs India |
| Sep 5 | 5:30pm | Nepal vs India |
How to watch Nepal vs India international friendlies on TV & live stream in India?
Unfortunately, the Nepal vs India internstional friendlies will not be telecasted in India as there are no official broadcasters. However, online streaming will be available on The Indian Football Team official Facebook page.
| TV channels (English) | Online streaming |
|---|---|
| NA |
Nepal vs India: Squads, team news & key statistics
Nepal �³�µ
Nepal's head coach Abdullah Almutairi has named 25 players for the two games against India. He has included four goalkeepers in the squad including Kiran Limbu who is a familiar face in the Indian domestic circuit.
The 29-year old Rohit Chand has played in India for HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) in 2012. He currently plies his trade in Persija Jakarta.
However, Almutairi has chosen to exclude Arpan Karki and forwards Sishir Lekhi and Abhishek Rijal. Rijal is another player who has played in India for Mohammedan Sporting and Aizawl FC respectively.
The 25-man Nepal squad:
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Deep Karki, Bishal Shrestha, Bikesh Kuthu
Defenders: Ananta Tamang, Dinesh Rajbanshi, Gautam Shrestha, Rohit Chand, Suman Aryal, Rajan Gurung, Kamal Thapa
Midfielders: Ayush Ghalan, Bishal Rai, Nitin Thapa, Pujan Uperkoti, Santosh Tamang, Sujal Shrestha, Sunil Bal, Suraj Jeu Thakuri, Tej Tamang
Forwards: Aashish Lama, Anjan Bista, Manish Dangi, Nawayug Shrestha, Suman Lama
India �®�³
As part of India's camp in Kolkata, the Blue Tigers took on IFA XI in an exhibition game which they won 1-0 with Akash Mishra on target on August 16. India played another exhibition match against Mohammedan Sporting which they won 2-0 with Ishan Pandita and Farukh Choudhary finding the back of the net.
Among the 25-man India squad for the Nepal friendlies, Seriton Fernandes and Rahim Ali after their maiden call-ups to the national team camp. Meanwhile, Ishan Pandita - who part of squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualification games in Qatar in June - has been left out in favour of Farukh Choudhary.
The 25-man India squad:
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Mandar Rao Dessai, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Seriton Fernandes
Midfielders: Lalengmawia, Bipin Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Yasir Mohammad, Glan Martins, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Pronay Halder
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary
Key stats:
India and Nepal have met each other on 19 occasions in the past out of which India have won 13 matches, Nepal have won two and four times the matches have ended in a tie. India have scored 33 goals and conceded nine.The last time these two sides met was on June 6, 2017, at the Mumbai Football Arena where the Blues Tigers emerged victorious thanks to goals from Sandesh Jhingan and Jeje Lalpekhlua.
The last time, The Gorkhalis hosted India was on March 17, 2015, in the second leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifying play-offs. The match ended in a goalless draw.
Sunil Chhetri is the highest Indian goalscorer against Nepal with five goals in eight international matches followed by IM Vijayan and Carlton Chapman who have scored three goals each.