Manolo Marquez, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian men’s national football team, will officially begin his tenure on Tuesday, July 4th, as India hosts Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup. The match, scheduled to kick off at 7:30 pm IST at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad, marks a significant moment for the Spaniard, who previously led Indian Super League side Hyderabad FC to a historic title in the 2020-21 season.
Marquez’s appointment comes after the departure of Igor Stimac, and his dual role as both national team coach and head coach of FC Goa for the upcoming 2024-25 season promises an exciting chapter for Indian football.
However, Marquez faces a challenging start as he prepares to lead the national team without the presence of legendary striker Sunil Chhetri, who retired from international football in May. Despite the absence of the country’s all-time top scorer, Marquez remains optimistic. “We’ll have only two training sessions before the first game. But I feel that when there’s a new coach and new staff, the predisposition is good. It’s about the attitude of the players and I’m convinced that will be very good. These are the fixtures and we can’t control them. It’s not about excuses. We can’t waste time with them. We trained yesterday, we’ll train today, and we’ll be ready for tomorrow,” Marquez shared during a pre-match press conference.
The Intercontinental Cup fixture promises an exciting encounter as Marquez sets out to shape a new era for Indian football. Fans can catch the LIVE telecast of the India vs Mauritius match on Sports 18 3 or stream it on the JioCinema platform. You can also follow the LIVE coverage on Sportstar’s website and app.
