The Indian men’s national football team ushers in a new era with the familiar face of Manolo Marquez at the helm. After almost a three-month-long hiatus, the Blue Tigers spring back into action as they gear up to face Mauritius in the 2024 Intercontinental Cup at the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium here on Tuesday.
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This will be India’s first competitive outing since the 1-2 defeat against Qatar in the 2026 FIFA World Cup second-round qualifier, which saw the side finish in third place in its four-team group. Only the top two advanced to the third round of qualification.
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After Igor Stimac’s exit as India’s head coach, the Blue Tigers aim to move beyond the pain of the past and look forward with an experienced Manolo steering the ship.
India, favourite on paper
Mauritius enters this tournament as the underdog, with a FIFA ranking of 173 compared to India’s 124th. However, if Manolo’s pre-match press conference is anything to go by, rankings can be a dangerously misleading parameter. While Mauritius head coach Guillaume Moullec got three weeks to temper and shape his team to his liking, Manolo, heading into his maiden international tournament, got just two training sessions.
Mauritius’ recent form also does not aid India’s cause because the Les Dodos (as Mauritius is familiarly known) beat a higher-ranked Eswatini (155) 2-1 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in June.
Starting strong or experimenting?
One of Manolo’s biggest strengths lies in his ability to experiment. His 25-man squad packs some serious firepower and Manolo would like a dominant start.
FILE PHOTO: Anwar Ali (R) is likely to remain at the heart of the Indian defense along with Rahul Bheke. | Photo Credit: AFP
Thus, he is expected to start familiar faces Liston Colaco, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Manvir Singh in the forward line, with Sahal Abdul Samad as the central attacking midfielder. But given Manolo’s penchant for surprise, the 23-year-old Kiyan Nassiri and the 26-year-old Lalthathanga Khawlring (Puitea) might make their India debut.
“I can’t tell exactly if they [Kiyan or Puitea] will play. But the 25 players that are here - they all can play tomorrow. This is professional football. Sometimes you get to play, sometimes you have to wait for your chance,” said the Indian head coach, maintaining a shroud of mystery over his team selection.
In defence, Anwar Ai and Rahul Bheke are likely to retain their place as the centre-back duo, given their understanding and match experience together. But Manolo might throw in the dice and integrate Chingelsana Singh in the heart of the defence, with Jay Gupta and Nikhil Poojary operating as the fullbacks.
Mauritius will bank on its experienced captain Kevin Jean Louis to man the sticks. French youth international Lindsay Rose, who has played for Ligue 1 sides Oympique Lyon and Lorient, is a versatile player in the backline and can play both as a centre-back and a full-back. He will be a key figure in the Mauritian defence and be primarily responsible for neutralising the threat of the Indian attackers.
The 23-year-old Kiyan Nassiri will be on the cards for a debut. | Photo Credit: ISL
Jeremy Villeneuve and Adel Langue will be the key midfielders for coach Moullec, with Yannick Aristide, Adrien Botlar, Gabriel Calliste and Aurelien Francois comprising the forward line.
Injury news
The Mauritians have the luxury of having everyone’s services while India has a deduction from its original 26-man squad announced by Marquez. Mohammad Yasir misses out due to injury.
Manolo won the Indian Super League title with Hyderabad FC in 2021/22. He starts his national team journey in the same city, one that will always be special to him. This time he has new hopes and aspirations, yet the script tends to favour the Spaniard, especially with the backing of the home crowd. Only time will unravel whether the Tigers will roar in Manolo’s managerial debut or will the Dodos manage to outwit the Tigers and grab an unlikely win.
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