AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The Indian Futsal Team are all set to face Bahrain in their second international friendly at the Khalifa Sports Hall in Isa Town, Bahrain, on Monday, August 14, 2023. The match will kick-off at 8.30 pm IST.

The team played their first match on Saturday, putting on a determined show, before ending the match with a 0-3 loss at the hands of the hosts. Despite the loss, India head coach Joshuah Vaz was optimistic about the team's progress.

"It's the small differences that add up to make a bigger picture in this game, and that's what happened to us in the first match," said Vaz. "Our boys did brilliantly to match Bahrain for long stretches of the game, but certain small errors did us in. We will, of course, be working on them.

"Bahrain are a very good side. And we have just started in futsal. Our team will only get better from here," Vaz said. "The Bahrain players were also surprised at how organised we were."

The likes of Augustine D’Mello and David Laltlansanga impressed with their performances on the court, as India continue their preparation path for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers, which are to be played later this year.

India, who are currently unseeded, have been drawn in Group E of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers, alongside Myanmar, Palestine, and hosts Tajikistan. Vaz believes that the second international friendly against Bahrain would be a good time to experiment, for him to figure out the best combinations.

“We will be experimenting with various combinations, in rotation, in attack, and with different players,” said Vaz. “This will be a good time for us to try out different players and play combinations, so that we know our strengths and weaknesses ahead of the Asian Cup Qualifiers.”