Team India departs for Dubai for final preparations

The Indian national football team left the capital New Delhi for Dubai earlier today to start their final preparations for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January 2011. The team had gathered in New Delhi over the weekend after a two week break and now will focus on the Asian Cup which is less then 10 weeks away.

India are set to play a series of three international friendlies in November while in the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, November 11 India are set to face defending Asian champions Iraq; followed by a friendly against Kuwait on Sunday, November 14 in Abu Dhabi; while the United Arab Emirates will be an opponent on Thursday, November 18 in what will be the three toughest friendlies so far in the preparation of the team. As Bob Houghton had said earlier, in the build-up to the Asian Cup, gradually tougher opponents will be played to prepare the team for the group matches against Australia, South Korea and Bahrain in Doha.

Towards the end of the month India will play three more friendly matches against local UAE club sides on November 24, 27 and 29. In these matches Bob Houghton is likely to test his bench and fringe players, giving them necessary match practice.

It has not been finally decided if the team would prepare until early-January 2011 in Dubai or shift their base to Qatar sometime in December 2010. In the coming month India is set to play three to five more international friendlies against nations playing in the Asian Cup, who would also prepare themselves in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Potential opponents are Iran, Uzbekistan, China, North Korea or Jordan. All footballing nations with pedigree.

Yes, we are getting closer to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the tension is rising. Team India is now on its way...