Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

India vs Oman, UAE: Date, Timings and Telecast info of Blue Tigers international friendlies

The Croatian World Cupper added the two matches against Oman and the UAE would be crucial as the team has not played any international match for more than a year.

Igor Stimac

Bengaluru, March 24: India take on Oman in Dubai on Thursday (March 25) in the first of two international friendlies, with the second match against the UAE slated for Monday (March 29).

Both the matches to be held at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium come in the light of the Blue Tigers preparations for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup qualifiers to be held in June.

Currently, the Igor Stimac-coached side is based in Dubai for a training camp.

The match against Oman on March 25 will kick off at 5.45 pm local time (7.15pm IST) while the kick-off time for the UAE match on March 29 is 8.15 pm local time (9.45pm IST).

For the Indian audience, both the matches will be shown live on Eurosport/Eurosport HD channels with live streaming available on Jio TV.

Stimac had initially named a 35-man probables squad for the friendlies before pruning down the squad to 28 after the Indian Super League final.

India name 35 probables for matches against Oman and UAEIndia name 35 probables for matches against Oman and UAE

The average age of the squad currently at the camp in Dubai is just over 24. Among them, 12 are below 25, and a couple of them are barely 19.

Bearing that in mind, Stimac has assured that all the youngsters in the squad will be given ample chances to prove themselves at the international level as he looks to build a team for the future.

"It's fantastic to see guys at 19, 20, 21, 23 making it to the national squad. We're trying to build on the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and develop their knowledge," Stimac was quoted as saying in the AIFF website.

"We're trying to make sure that in the next four years they become ready to play against the best, and win against them. It's a long process in football, and it takes time."

The Croatian World Cupper added the two matches against Oman and the UAE would be crucial as the team has not played any international match for more than a year.

This will be India's first international fixture since November 19, 2019 when they lost 0-1 to Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Stadium in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers, which literally ruled them out of contention for a FIFA World Cup berth.

"It's been a while since we last played and this is a great opportunity to check where we stand at the moment," the coach said.

Story first published: Thursday, March 25, 2021, 9:07 [IST]
Other articles published on Mar 25, 2021