BANGALORE: India and Pakistan face off in the first of the two friendly fixtures at the Bangalore Football Stadium, as they prepare for the Asian Games (under-23) in Incheon in October.
India are ranked 150 and Pakistan 164 in the world. Hence, how much the two teams placed towards the bottom of the ladder benefit when they meet is debatable. It would have been better if such friendly internationals were played against higher-ranked opposition from Asia or any other continent.
Maybe, for Pakistan it would be of some help. But surely not for India. All the same, if results of the last decade or so are any indication, India are on a downslide while Pakistan are showing signs of improvement.
In Asian Games, India certainly have an edge. India won gold in 1951 and 1962, apart from bronze in 1970. Pakistan, meanwhile, have never come out of the group stage.
However, India haven’t progressed to quarterfinals since 1982. As such, the two teams haven’t made much progress vis-a-vis many of their Asian counterparts.
Since 2002, it has been an under-23 affair to enable Asian countries prepare better for the Olympics. Both, though, allow three senior players over 23.
India’s captain Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh, the Bengaluru FC pair, along with Francis Fernandes of Salgaocar, join the youngsters and will have a big role to play.