Leading up to his first game as India’s head coach, Manolo Marquez is back to where it all began for him. After joining Hyderabad FC in 2020, he became a household name in Indian football after guiding the club to the ISL title in the 2021-22 season. Two years later, he is back as the Indian coach as the Blue Tigers gear up for the Intercontinental Cup and prepare to play their first match under the Spaniard against Mauritius on Tuesday.
The stage is perfect for Manolo’s debut, but a talking point ahead of India’s clash against Mauritius is the limited time the Spaniard got to shape the team. Compared to Mauritius, which trained for three weeks before coming to play here, Manolo has had just two sessions with his boys.
“Yes, we haven’t had much time to train - only two sessions before the first game. As a coach, I can complain about this, but then I spoke to the players. It is not about excuses. This is how the fixtures are. Things we cannot change, we should not waste time,” said Marquez at the pre-match press conference on Monday.
Defender Roshan Singh, the player accompanying Marquez at the PC said, “Like everyone in the team, I am very focused and positive about the game. Even though we had fewer training sessions, we will go for the best result.”
Being sharp and avoiding complacency
Mauritius, ranked 173rd, is 49 places lower than the 124th-ranked India. But Marquez’s association with professional football is long enough for him to know that rankings are far from absolute.
For the Spaniard, avoiding complacency and keeping his boys motivated, even against a weaker opposition on paper, is high on his agenda.
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“The first FIFA window is a bit tricky because many teams are still having their pre-season, and some are playing their B-teams in the Durand Cup. Some played with their main team and we do not know their physical situation. But this won’t happen in the next window because then, ISL [Indian Super League] will be going on,” added the Spaniard.
Chance to rotate players
With fitness being a cause of concern, Manolo will be tempted to mix up the team and use his new faces against the underdogs in their first match. In Kiyan Nassiri, Lalthathanga Khawlring (Puitea), the Spaniard has exciting talent to use, but the Indian coach decided against making any commitments.
“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.
Sticking to the gameplan
Mauritius has only played India once in its history - in the 2017 Hero-Tri Nations Series, where India clinched a 2-1 win. Despite playing away against a stronger Indian side, at least on paper, head coach Guillaume Moullec says he will not do anything different.
“I am not going to change my strategy. I want my players to be able to adapt, but they will play their own game,” said Moullec
Mauritian forward Jason Ferre mirrored his coach’s statement, saying that the occasion is huge because Mauritius is playing a stronger team in India.
“We know most of the cheers will come for you guys [Indian players] tomorrow, but we will put our best on the field and hope to make it tomorrow,” Ferre said.
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