The Indian men’s football team is aiming to break their winless streak in 2024 as they face Vietnam in an international friendly match in Nam Dinh on Saturday. Under the new manager Manolo Marquez, India has struggled to adjust to his system, resulting in three draws and six defeats in their nine matches this year. Their last victory was against Kuwait in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in November 2023, with only two goals scored throughout the entire year, one of which was a penalty by former captain Sunil Chhetri.
Marquez, who took over from Igor Stimac, has seen mixed results with a goalless draw against Mauritius and a 0-3 loss to Syria in the September friendlies. Vietnam, ranked 10 places higher than India, are considered favorites for the upcoming match, having defeated India 3-0 in their last encounter in 2022.
The India vs Vietnam match will kick off at 04:30 PM IST on Saturday, October 12, at the Thien Truong Stadium in Nam Dinh. Unfortunately, there will be no live telecast of the match in India, but it can be streamed for free on the Vietnam Football Federation’s YouTube channel and the FanCode app or website for Indian viewers.
The India squad includes players like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sunil Chhetri, and Brandon Fernandes, while the Vietnam squad is led by Filip Nguyen and Quang Hai Nguyen. The match promises to be an intriguing battle between two footballing nations with contrasting recent form.
