 "5 goals for the Indian football team in their match against Vietnam")
India were to play Lebanon and Vietnam in a tri-nation friendly tournament but the former’s withdrawal has left the Blue Tigers with just one match to play in the October FIFA window. That match will be played against Vietnam in Nam Định on 12 October at 4.30 PM IST.
This will be India’s fourth match against the unified Vietnam team with all matches taking place in the 21st century. Vietnam enjoy a 2-1 head-to-head lead over India, having also won their last encounter in 2022. But a lot has changed since then with India replacing head coach Igor Stimac with Manolo Marquez and Vietnam naming South Korean Kim Sang-sik to the top post in June.
India vs Vietnam: Football history between the two teams
As the two Asian sides meet in a friendly which holds a lot of importance for both teams, we take a look at what the Indian football team will be aiming to achieve from their trip to Vietnam.
Marquez looks to get off the mark
India played out a drab goalless draw against Mauritius in Marquez’s debut as an India coach and lost 3-0 to Syria in August in the Intercontinental Cup.
The Intercontinental tournament came for Marquez after just two training sessions, but the team has been camp for a while now. Due to Lebanon’s withdrawal, India have been offered extra time to prepare for the Vietnam game and has been training in Nam Định since 7 October.
This should have given Marquez enough time to prepare his troops as he aims to earn his first win as India’s head coach.
India aim for valuable FIFA ranking points
India have not won a match since beating Kuwait in November last year. They are currently ranked 126th. A victory against Vietnam will help the Blue Tigers earn some valuable FIFA ranking points which can help them jump in the standings. A higher FIFA ranking is needed for a favourable pot allocation during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers draw. The draw for the 2027 Asian Cup will take place in December this year.
Who will break India’s goal-scoring drought?
India failed to score a single goal in the Intercontinental Cup with Manveer Singh largely playing as the striker. The current squad has four strikers: Edmund Lalrindika, Farukh Chaudhary, Manvir Singh, and Vikram Partap Singh.
India have only scored two goals in nine matches so far in 2024 with one of them coming from the spot through now-retired Sunil Chhetri. Lallianzuala Chhangte scored the other goal in a 2-1 heart-breaking defeat to Qatar that saw India getting knocked out of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
If India need a win, they must score goals, which means someone has to step up and put on the scoring boots.
Will Vishal Kaith be picked as the No.1 goalkeeper?
There has been growing criticism against Gurpreet Singh Sandhu as India’s goalkeeper with the veteran custodians committing multiple errors in recent matches. Vishal Kaith on the other hand has been in great form in the Indian Super League as Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The fans have been demanding that Kaith be made the No.1 goalkeeper for India as well. Hence it will be interesting to see who Marquez picks in the game against Vietnam.
Will Lalrinliana Hnamte or Aakash Sangwan make India debut?
Both players have received their first national call-ups. Chenniyin FC midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte and FC Goa’s left-back Aakash Sangwan have been in top form in ISL in the last few seasons and the national team selection is a natural progression. But will they get to play against Vietnam?
Lalrinliana may have to wait for a while but it’s a good time to give Sangwan an opportunity. The Haryana footballer is an ideal full-back who is always willing to join the attack and ready to track back to help the defenders. Jay Gupta has shown that he can be a better fit as a centre-back and while India also have Subhasish Bose in the lineup, it’s a perfect opportunity to blood in Sangwan against a team that doesn’t offer a lot of physical challenges.
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