India vs Singapore - 3 player battles to watch out for × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Indian Football International Friendlies 2022-23 Listicle

India vs Singapore - 3 player battles to watch out for

By Akhil Rawat Modified 23 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share The Bengaluru FC duo of Sunil Chhetri (L) and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (R) will be key for India again as the Blue Tigers begin preparation for next year's AFC Asian Cup. (Image: the-afc.com) The Indian men's football team will begin their campaign in the three-nation Hưng Thịnh friendly tournament against Singapore on Saturday, September 24, at 5.30 pm IST. The match will take place at the Thống Nhất Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Blue Tigers are returning to action after a gap of over three months since the AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers were held in Kolkata in June. The continental showpiece event is less than nine months away, and Igor Štimac's men will be keen to begin the preparation cycle on the right note in Vietnam. Indian Football Team@IndianFootball day to go ?

How excited are you to watch our #BlueTigers take on and

Watch them LIVE on @EurosportIN

#BackTheBlue #IndianFootball 410391️⃣ day to go ?How excited are you to watch our #BlueTigers take on and Watch them LIVE on @EurosportIN #BackTheBlue #IndianFootball https://t.co/L99iNQ0vce India's opponents Singapore were thrashed 0-4 by hosts Vietnam on Wednesday, September 21. The Lions put up a lackluster defensive show and were outclassed by a young Vietnamese side, who were even missing some key players. After a cagey opening half hour with no real chances on either end, the deadlock was broken by Nguyễn Văn Quyết's rifling strike from outside the box. Singapore had no time to settle in the second half as Nguyễn Thanh Nhân doubled Vietnam's lead in the 50th minute. The hosts kept on piling the pressure and added two more goals from Hồ Tấn Tài and Khuất Văn Khang to condemn Singapore to their heaviest ever loss against Vietnam. Takayuki Nishigaya's side had no answer to the hosts' fast-paced attacks down the wings. FAS@FASingaporeDefeat to the hosts of the Hung Thinh International Football Tournament 2022.

#VIESGP227Defeat to the hosts of the Hung Thinh International Football Tournament 2022. #VIESGP https://t.co/TO4mfYgiUr On that note, let's take a look at three key player battles that could impact how India's friendly match against Singapore will pan out.

#3 Anirudh Thapa IND vs Anumanthan Kumar SIN

Anirudh Thapa had a terrific Durand Cup 2022 campaign for Chennaiyin FC with two goals and three assists in five matches, making a strong case to be the first name in Igor Štimac's midfield. The youngster played just 45 minutes in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers for India and will be eager to win back his place in the starting XI. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post On Saturday, Thapa's battle in midfield will be against Singapore's Anumanthan Kumar. In the absence of veteran midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman against Vietnam, Kumar took over defensive midfield responsibilities and was one of the few Singaporeans who played well. Kumar's strength and physicality might make it difficult for Thapa, but the crafty Indian midfielder definitely has the edge in terms of speed and technical ability.

#2 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu IND vs Ikhsan Fandi SIN

One of the most eye-catching battles will be between India's experienced goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Singapore's young star striker Ikhsan Fandi. Sandhu has landed in Vietnam fresh from winning the Durand Cup title with Bengaluru FC in Kolkata last Sunday. He is the second-highest capped player in the Blue Tigers' squad with 54 caps, only behind captain Sunil Chhetri. In the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Sandhu conceded only one goal as India topped their group with three wins in as many games. The tall and acrobatic Indian custodian will need to be on top of his game when he squares off against Singapore's leading striker. Ikhsan has already racked up 16 goals in 31 matches for the Lions, including a hat-trick against Myanmar in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post Since joining Thai club BG Pathum United in January 2022, Ikhsan has netted 19 times, including three in the AFC Champions League. Gurpreet and Ikhsan have been exceptional in their positions for their respective nations, which makes for an exciting clash.

#1 Sunil Chhetri IND vs Irfan Fandi SIN

After completing his domestic trophy collection with the Durand Cup title last Sunday, Sunil Chhetri is back in national colors. The record Indian international goalscorer will hope to keep the momentum going and make Singapore the 32nd nation he has scored against. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post Chhetri scored four goals in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, including a stunning free-kick against Afghanistan. It was India's fifth qualification for the continental event and third of Chhetri's career, which goes to show just how long he has been playing at the highest level. He will be up against Irfan Fandi, the eldest of the three Fandi brothers in the Singaporean squad. Irfan has commanded the Lions' defense ever since making his debut in 2016 at the age of 19. He has made his name as one of the most successful Singaporeans to play abroad, winning the Thai league title and reaching the AFC Champions League quarter-finals with BG Pathum United. So this duel between the two stalwarts of their national teams is our pick for the mega-battle of the match. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Ankush Das × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी