Bhubaneswar
India captain Sunil Chhetri made it very clear before the first game of the Intercontinental Cup 2023 that the Blue Tigers will be looking to play in the final of the four-nation tournament.
Igor Stimac’s side will play Mongolia, Vanuatu and Lebanon at the Kalinga Stadium here from June 9, with the top two playing each other in the final on June 18.
“We’ve made very good use of the last three weeks here in Odisha. Hopefully, it’s not three games but four,” Chhetri said.
“It’s strange that not only this team (batch of players) but me, throughout my career; I’ve never played in Bhubaneswar or anywhere in Odisha, with the national team. We’re very happy and excited (to be here).”
Chhetri added that heat might be an issue in the games, with temperatures fluctuating around 40 degrees around the week in the city, but said that both playing teams would be at a disadvantage for that, making it a level-playing ground.
“We can’t complain because whenever we play and whatever conditions we play in, it is going to be the same for both teams,” he said.
India comes into the tournament after winning the Tri-Nations Series in Manipur and is looking to play as many international games as possible before the AFC Asian Cup in January 2024.
But the captain and India’s highest goal-scorer of all time feels there is no need to jump the gun.
“It’s too early (to talk about the Asian Cup). He (Stimac) tries to keep it very simple for us -- the training here was just for the next three matches,” he told the reporters before the opening fixture.
“Of course, it is always going to be at the back of our heads, that we are training for the Asian Cup. Everyone is fighting for their position (in the Asian Cup squad) first. Only 23 boys are going to be there.
But before that, we are just thinking about this tournament and to be very specific, about Mongolia,” he said.
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