India to play Mongolia in Intercontinental Cup opener

Intercontinental Cup: The other two teams in the competition, Lebanon and Vanuatu, will clash on the same day, which will be the tournament opener.

Indian football team in action. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

The Indian men’s football team will take on Mongolia on the opening day of the upcoming Intercontinental Cup, which kicks off at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium on June 9.

The other two teams in the competition, Lebanon and Vanuatu, will clash on the same day, which will be the tournament opener.

The event is part of India’s preparations for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. Immediately after the Intercontinental Cup, India will play the SAFF Championship, to be held in Bengaluru from June 21–July 3.

The national team, under head coach Igor Stimac, will be camping in Bhubaneswar to prepare for the tournament from May 15.

This will be the third edition of the Intercontinental Cup, with the previous two being held in Mumbai (2018) and Ahmedabad (2019).

All four teams will play against each other once before the top two sides compete in the final on June 18.

Fixtures:

June 9, 2023: Lebanon vs Vanuatu, 16:30 IST June 9, 2023: India vs Mongolia, 19:30 IST June 12, 2023: Mongolia vs Lebanon, 16:30 IST June 12, 2023: Vanuatu vs India, 19:30 IST June 15, 2023: Vanuatu vs Mongolia, 16:30 IST June 15, 2023: India vs Lebanon, 19:30 IST June 18, 2023: Final, 19:30 IST.