India and China to Fight again, but This Time on Football Field
For the Indian team, it is also their first international match in China, though their seniors have faced each other 17 times in the past.
We as nations have several issues with our borders, we have fought each other on the battlefield too. This time India and China will face each other no doubt, but this time on a football field. Both the countries are playing this friendly football match in China for the first time in 21 years, today.
For the Indian team, it is also their first international match in China, though their seniors have faced each other 17 times in the past. China also has played in India seven times, all the matches were part of the invitational tournament during Nehru Cup.
Star defender Sandesh Jhingan will lead the Indian team, coach Stephen Constantine has declared during the pre-match press conference in Suzhou, “I think he is going to be one of the leaders for India going forward. Keeping the magnitude of the game in mind, I believe he deserves to lead the team. We will go all out for a win. But if we lose, we will try to find out the positive aspects”.
India’s lead striker and regular skipper Sunil Chhetri said, “We should not afford them much space. At the same time, whenever we find a little room of opportunity, we have to construct the moves and counter them”.
China too is firm to win the match, despite their poor form recently. However, the win and loss record against India, both will be in favor of China. So far India has not won a single match out of the 17 matches, while China has won 12 matches. The rest of the matches were a draw. China also has the advantage of home ground in the game.
It was in the year 1997, when India and China have played each other during the Nehru Cup in Kochi, which was won by China with 2-1. The match will be played at Suzhou, which is around 100 km from Shanghai, has attracted a lot of interest among the football lovers in China as the competition is between the two Asian giants.
India and China together account for more than one-third of the world’s population and both the countries are the fastest growing global economies. But both the countries at the International stage have disappointing performances while playing football. Though India as a country has never found a place at FIFA World Cup, China managed to play once in 2002, though they had to exit from the world cup after being defeated in 3 matches together.
