Football | Macau to play India for AFC 2019
Macau is slated to play against India in the AFC Asian Cup 2019 Qualifier today at the Macau Olympic Complex.
Although today’s match will be the first time Macau faces India in a senior game, India’s U-16 team trashed Macau 33 years ago with a 13-0 final score.
In the latest FIFA rankings, India is 86 places ahead of Macau, standing at 97th, while the city’s team stands at 183rd.
The Indian team, known as the Blue Tigers, has been unbeaten since June 2016, and is anticipated to win the third round qualifying phase of the tournament.
If India wins today’s match, and consolidates this win with three more points next month when Macau, known as The Greens, plays them away in Bengaluru, the team could secure a top-two spot and qualification for their fourth AFC Asian Cup.
The Blue Tigers won the 2017 Hero Tri-Nations Series, a three-team tournament that saw them defeat Mauritius and draw with Saint Kitts and Nevis, before coming to Macau for today’s match.
Macau was scheduled for a friendly match with Malaysia, however due to the recent deadly typhoon Hato, the match was cancelled. Macau played their most recent match against Hong Kong on Saturday for the 73rd edition of the Inter-Port game, which they lost 4-0.
The local team took part in the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup in 2006, meant for ‘emerging nations,’ but they had been missing from this competition until last year, when they qualified for the AFC Solidarity Cup, a replacement competition to the Challenge Cup, which was held in Malaysia for the first time.
Macau is grouped along with India, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Myanmar as aspiring teams to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Technical director of the Macau Football Association, Chan Hiu Ming, is taking the additional responsibility of serving as the head coach of the team.
