Match with China will help us prepare for Asian Cup: Stephen Constantine

Indian football head coach Stephen Constantine feels that India’s international friendly match against a formidable side like China would help them prepare for the Asian Cup scheduled to be held next year.

India and China are set to lock horns with each other at the Suzhou Olympics Sports Centre Stadium in the Jiangsu province.

“China are a strong team and the match will be a tough test for us. But we need to play these sort of games right now. Getting to play under pressure is important and an away fixture in China is exactly the kind of game we need,” said Constantine, as quoted by The Indian Express.

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“Hopefully, everyone stays free from injury as it’s going to be an important game for the build-up to the AFC Asian Cup in January,” added Constantine.

India and China in the past have faced 17 times and their last meeting was in Kochi in the Nehru Cup in 1997. With all of those 17 encounters played in India, this is the first time both the countries would face off in China.

Out of the 17 matches, 12 were won by China and the remaining five ended in draws. India hasn’t yet one against their Asian counterparts.

With the aim of establishing a long-term bilateral, “footballing relationship with China,” All India Football Federation secretary Kushal Das said, “Globally, India and China are now being looked up to as two of the fastest emerging football markets. The match will usher in a new era in Asian football as this is the first time ever that the Indian national team will be travelling to play in China. We look forward to a long-term bilateral footballing relationship with China in near future.”

“Playing against China in China is a perfect way to gear up for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. China are a supremely talented side and it will provide us an opportunity to further gauge ourselves where we stand prior to the Continental Championships.”