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Bangladesh Set for High-Profile AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Against India

by Devesh Jaganath

image Bangladesh Set for High-Profile AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Against India
Bangladesh have arrived in Shillong, Meghalaya, where they will get their AFC Asian Cup third-round qualification campaign underway against neighbours India on Tuesday afternoon. While the Blue Tigers have largely dominated this fixture over the years, there is a renewed sense of optimism among Bengal Tigers’ fans owing to the arrival of Hamza Choudhury.

Can Choudhury Help Bangladesh Earn First Win Over India?

Ahead of departing the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on March 20, coach Javier Cabrera made his final decision around the 25 players would travel to face familiar foes India in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. 

Among those who were cut from the initial 30-man squad were the likes of Arif Hossain, Piyas Ahmed Nova and Taj Uddin. However, the reason for the increased interest in the selection was due to the inclusion of Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury. 

Choudhury has won the Premier League and FA Cup with the Foxes and represented England at the under-21s level. The 27-year-old opted to switch allegiance last year and in doing so has become the first Premier League player to represent the Bengal Tigers. 

The visitors will need all the experience that Chodhury brings to the side with the latest Asian Cup odds stacked firmly against them. Ranked 185th according to FIFA, the Bengal Tigers are the lowest-ranked team in their group, which also features Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Don’t miss a minute of the action between India and Bangladesh by using our Asian Cup livescore tool!

India Make Statement With Victory Over Maldives

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India wrapped up their preparations for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers on Thursday afternoon in Shillong with a commanding 3-0 victory over the Maldives. Rahul Bheke opened the scoring for the Blue Tigers, while Liston Colaco and Sunil Chhetri also got on the scoresheet. 

With that result, Manolo Marquez’s side are now unbeaten in their last three matches (W1 D2 L0) - though that was their only win since back in November 2023 when they beat Kuwait at the World Championship. 

Still, that victory would have given India tremendous confidence ahead of this crucial clash, while Chhetri’s return to the squad has also provided an evident lift. India have faced Bangladesh eight times across all competitions since 1985 and have yet to taste defeat (W4 D4 L0).

Be sure to check out our experts’ football predictions for additional thoughts and insights on this crucial matchup!

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