Before Brazil clash, Indian defender Sweety says playing against Marta will be a huge challenge

The Indian Women's football team is expected to play three matches against Brazil, Chile and Venezuela later this month.

Published : Nov 11, 2021 17:24 IST

It is currently training at the Tata Football Academy ground in Jamshedpur and will play three matches in Manaus, against Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
It is currently training at the Tata Football Academy ground in Jamshedpur and will play three matches in Manaus, against Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
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It is currently training at the Tata Football Academy ground in Jamshedpur and will play three matches in Manaus, against Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.

Indian defender Sweety Devi, in an AIFF interaction, said that playing against Brazil's Marta will be a huge challenge and the team is working on plans to mitigate her attack prowess.

The 35-year-old forward has been FIFA World Player of the Year (Women) six times and is also the highest goal scorer in World Cups.

This match will also be the last match for Brazilian midfielder Formiga, who has previously said that the match will be her last international fixture.

RELATED | Brazil veteran Formiga to retire from international football

"We will try to stop her, and are working on our plans. If possible, maybe we can speak a few words with her too after the game,” Sweety said.

This is the first time an Indian football team (for both men and women) will play Brazil at the senior level .

The Indian Women’s Team has already played in five different countries this year, namely, Turkey, Uzbekistan, UAE, Bahrain, and Sweden.

With Brazil set to be the sixth, followed by another tournament in Kerala, the Blue Pilgrims will look to be ready enough for the AFC Women's Asian Cup, set to take place in Indian next year.

“It’s a challenge to play against superior teams... We are developing ourselves, and it’s a good opportunity for us to play them, so we want to take this opportunity.”

"The good thing was that the level of intensity of the matches slowly increased so that we could also match up to the opposition. At the end, the matches were of really high intensity,” she added.

ALSO READ | We need not be afraid of any of our opponents in the Asian Cup

India will play three matches in Manaus, starting with one against Brazil on November 25, against Chile on November 28 and against Venezuela on December 1.

It is currently training at the Tata Football Academy ground in Jamshedpur and will have stalwarts like Aditi Chauhan and Dalima Chhibber join it from Gokulam Kerala, which lost out on the AFC Asian Club Championship in Jordan.

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