Intercontinental Cup: India begin journey under Manolo

Hyderabad, September 2

Seeking to put the heartbreak in the World Cup Qualifiers behind, the Indian men’s football team will look to start from scratch under new head coach Manolo Marquez when it faces Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup opener here tomorrow.

The senior men’s team is coming to the Telangana capital for the first time in 16 years as the city plays host to Mauritius and Syria from September 3 to 9.

The coach has termed the tournament a dress rehearsal for bigger tasks ahead — the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Marquez felt that he will be able to better judge the quality of his squad when the season is up and running. “The main target of playing these games in September, October and November is to prepare for the more important thing — the Asian Cup qualifiers, the first game of which is in March,” the Spaniard said.

“The first FIFA window now is a little tricky because we are still in pre-season. Some clubs played with their reserve team in the Durand Cup. We don’t exactly know the physical situation of all the players. That won’t happen in the next FIFA windows because the ISL will be ongoing. But again, I think this is not an excuse. We are ready for tomorrow.”