India football team will begin its preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers with the national camp from March 14, two days after the last league match of the Indian Super League. (More Football News)
On the eve of the draw, India coach Manolo Marquez, who is yet to taste success in four matches after taking over from Igor Stimac, gave the proposal for a "longer camp" to the All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey.
"After consulting its marketing partners, the AIFF felt the national camp could begin on March 14, two d✤ays after the last league match in the Indian Super League 2024-25," the AIFF said in a statement.
"For two days, I had fruitful meetings with the AIFF president, senior officials and technical members of the AIFF. I am sure with the kind of preparations we have planned, the national team will do well in the Asian Cup qualifiers," the 56-year-old Ma🥂rqꦚuez stated.
The draw for𒅌 the final round draw will take place on Monday at 12.30pm ▨IST.
India, placed in pot 1, will be grouped ♓with 24 teams into six groups of four.
Matches will follow a home-and-away round-r🌞obin format from March 2025 to March 2026.
India's first match, against🐷 a pot 4 t♌eam, would be a home match on March 25.
"The qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup is our main target. The🧜 AIFF will do everything as per the plan submitted by the head coach," stated AIFF president Chaubey.
Marquez a🤪lso held discussions with the technical committee members, the AIFF technical director Syed Sabir Pasha and members of the federation's scouting team.
India played out a 1-1 dr💦aw against Mala🅘ysia in their last match.
The Blue Tigers have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup five times, including𝓀 the last two editions in 2019 and 2023.
However, the Stimac-coached side had a disappointing campaign in🌄 2023, losing all three group matches without scoring a single goal.
In 2019, India ende𒁃d a 55-year winless drought with a victory over Thailand but failed to advance past the group stage.
Their best performance to date has been in 1964 when they finished runners-up in 🎶a four-team round-robin format.
In 1984, India managed just one point in th🌳e group stage, and in 2011, they returned after 27 years but lost all group matches despite qualifying as 2008 AFC Chal⛦lenge Cup winners.
