As the international friendly match between India and Brazil is only a month away, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly praised Brazil’s footballing pedigree and said he hopes they visit India with a strong squad. He believes playing against top-level opponents would provide valuable exposure and help Indian footballers improve. The international friendly match between India and Brazil is scheduled for October 3 in Kolkata. India will play three international friendlies against higher-ranked opposition, facing Panama on September 26 in Bengaluru before taking on five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6, both in Kolkata.
“Football is a brilliant sport, and I really enjoy watching it. Brazil is one of the greatest footballing nations in the world, so I hope they come here with a very strong team. It will give our footballers valuable exposure because that’s what you need. When you play against players who are better than you, it helps you improve and become a better footballer,” Sourav Ganguly told reporters on Thursday.
Ganguly also stated that the arrival of Brazil, Uruguay and Panama in Bengal is a major boost for Indian football, providing players with valuable international exposure and opportunities to develop.
He also stressed the importance of making such high-level fixtures a consistent feature.
“It’s very good for Indian football, and it’s not just Brazil. Uruguay and Panama are also coming to Bengal to play football. Hopefully, this continues consistently because playing against such teams will give our players a lot of valuable exposure and help them develop,” Ganguly added.
The three matches will provide India with valuable opportunities to test themselves against World Cup opposition, with all three nations having featured at the FIFA World Cup earlier this year.
India football squad for Brazil, Uruguay and Panama friendlies
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh GillLike Kumar
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar AliBijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam
Midfielders: Anirudh ThapaAshique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh
Head coach: Khalid Jamil
Reserves: Hrithik Tiwari, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Roshan Singh Naorem, Suresh Singh Wangjam.
“My prayers are with all of them”: Ganguly expresses grief for Nepal flood victims
Ganguly on Thursday also expressed grief over the loss of life and devastation caused by flash floods in Nepal. The death toll from the Nepal flash floods has risen to 1,252, while around 4,216 people remain missing or out of contact, according to the latest search, rescue and relief update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Thursday. The figures, based on details received until 12 noon, show the widespread impact of the disaster across several districts. The highest number of recovered bodies has been reported from Chitwan, with 355, followed by Nawalparasi East with 218, Nawalparasi West with 208, Nuwakot with 177 and Rasuwa with 127.
Speaking to reporters, Ganguly said, “It’s devastating. I hope they recover. Such natural catastrophes are not easy. It’s taken away a lot of lives, and it disrupts the entire system of a nation. So, my prayers are with all of them, and I hope they recover very soon.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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