India takes on Oman in a friendly encounter in Muscat. Goal.com gives you a comprehensive preview before the game, as India build up to the Challenge Cup.
India takes on Oman in an international friendly match in Muscat on 23rd February, as the Blue Tigers look to fine-tune their preparations for the Challenge Cup scheduled to be held in March.
The Omani Daggers start as the overwhelming favourites for the game, as apart from the home support, with a FIFA ranking of 95, they are 59 places ahead of India, who lie at 154th.
While India’s chances might appear bleak, the match nonetheless is a very good way for the Blue Tigers to prepare for their assault on the Challenge Cup, as Medeira will be looking to test several of the newcomers in his squad and see how they react on being thrust into the limelight on the international stage. A positive result would only be the icing on the cake.
With Sunil Chhetri missing with an injury and Climax Lawrence as well as Mahesh Gawli having retired, the core of the team is in need of some restructuring. Whether players like C.S Sabeeth, Manandeep Singh, Arnab Mondal, Raju Gaikwad and Lester Fernandez can step upto the mark will not only be vital for their international careers, but also for India’s hopes in the Challenge Cup.
They cannot expect any sympathy from Oman however, who have become a very tough opponent to beat, especially at home, where they beat Australia 1-0 in a recent World Cup qualifier. With the team also playing a very vital World Cup qualifier against Thailand on 29th February, the players in their squad will be hungry to prove themselves in order to win a starting XI berth for the match against Thailand.
So India might well find themselves on the wrong end of a thumping, if they do not come out with their best game on Thursday in Muscat.
Sushil Kumar Singh - With Jeje out injured and with Medeira revealing that Sunil Chhetri will not play a part, the role of senior striker falls on the Shillong Lajong striker.
It remains to be seen if he is capable of playing such a role, as the Manipuri has largely failed to live up to the promise he showed when he first burst onto the scene as a youngster. He was infact out of action for most of the I-League season, having joined division 2 side United Sikkim in the summer, before Shillong Lajong took him on loan.
With him likely to play alone upfront or with an inexperienced partner, the threat India offer in front of goal will largely depend on the performance of Sushil in attack
Amad Al Hosni – All of 27 years old, the Al Ahli striker has been leading the Omani frontline for nine years and was also named Goal.com's Asian Player of the month for January. Al Hosni might well be leading the line for the Reds against India, and he is sure to make it a very difficult night for Indian defenders in Muscat. A player with a prolific scoring record at both club and international level, he boasts of a goal-scoring ratio that is better than a goal every two games. In the month of January, he scored a goal in every game for Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
He has had a taste of European football, having played a season with Belgium club Charleroi S.C.
India takes on Oman in an international friendly match in Muscat on 23rd February, as the Blue Tigers look to fine-tune their preparations for the Challenge Cup scheduled to be held in March.
The Omani Daggers start as the overwhelming favourites for the game, as apart from the home support, with a FIFA ranking of 95, they are 59 places ahead of India, who lie at 154th.While India’s chances might appear bleak, the match nonetheless is a very good way for the Blue Tigers to prepare for their assault on the Challenge Cup, as Medeira will be looking to test several of the newcomers in his squad and see how they react on being thrust into the limelight on the international stage. A positive result would only be the icing on the cake.
With Sunil Chhetri missing with an injury and Climax Lawrence as well as Mahesh Gawli having retired, the core of the team is in need of some restructuring. Whether players like C.S Sabeeth, Manandeep Singh, Arnab Mondal, Raju Gaikwad and Lester Fernandez can step upto the mark will not only be vital for their international careers, but also for India’s hopes in the Challenge Cup.
Oman Recently Defeated Australia In A World Cup Qualifier....
So India might well find themselves on the wrong end of a thumping, if they do not come out with their best game on Thursday in Muscat.
The Manipuri Will Have To Shoulder India's Attack...
It remains to be seen if he is capable of playing such a role, as the Manipuri has largely failed to live up to the promise he showed when he first burst onto the scene as a youngster. He was infact out of action for most of the I-League season, having joined division 2 side United Sikkim in the summer, before Shillong Lajong took him on loan.
With him likely to play alone upfront or with an inexperienced partner, the threat India offer in front of goal will largely depend on the performance of Sushil in attack
Amad Al Hosni – All of 27 years old, the Al Ahli striker has been leading the Omani frontline for nine years and was also named Goal.com's Asian Player of the month for January. Al Hosni might well be leading the line for the Reds against India, and he is sure to make it a very difficult night for Indian defenders in Muscat. A player with a prolific scoring record at both club and international level, he boasts of a goal-scoring ratio that is better than a goal every two games. In the month of January, he scored a goal in every game for Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
He has had a taste of European football, having played a season with Belgium club Charleroi S.C.
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