India vs Mongolia: All Eyes on Sunil Chhetri as Blue Tigers kickstart Intercontinental Cup campaign

India’s opening game against Mongolia will be a tricky fixture as the Blue Tigers prepare for the upcoming SAFF Championship.

While Lebanon and Vanuatu will play in the tournament opener, hosts India will take on Mongolia in the day’s second match, kicking off their campaign against the lowest-ranked team (No 183) in the tournament.

The Blue Tigers, ranked 101 in the FIFA rankings, will enter the tournament as the second-highest-ranked team, with Lebanon (99) ahead of them by two places.

With 84 goals to his name from 131 international appearances, the most by an Indian, captain Sunil Chhetri has set numerous records over the last two decades. As far as the tournament is concerned, no player has made an impact like the Indian skipper who has scored 11 of India’s 16 goals in the event. Chhetri is the only player to score a hat-trick in the competition.

India vs Mongolia Live Streaming and Telecast: Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023 Schedule, Venue, Where to Watch

“Sunil has always been a role model and a leader in every sense for the boys and girls. But he’s not only talking, he’s showing that with his test results once again,” India coach Igor Stimac said.

“In this camp, he was in the top-five positions in all the tests we executed. So that’s the best way of leading the team and showing them how much it can be done. Never mind the age, never mind the month or the year, so let alone what he speaks what he does on the pitch and how he works. That’s what is the most important thing,” the coach added.

India won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup in 2018, but failed to defend their title in 2019 and finished fourth after the group stages. As the tournament returns after a four-year gap, Igor Stimac will be determined to fare decently.

Fresh from winning the tri-nation series in March, supporters have a lot of hope in the Bue Tigers and it is to be seen if they can live up to the billing.

India’s Mongolia challenge can be a bit tricky. Although the Blue Tigers are expected to get three points, the Siberian country did well recently. They beat Yemen 2-0 in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, whereas also beat Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan recently. But their last match yielded a 1-6 defeat at the hands of Georgia.

(with inputs from agency)