Why FA Cup winner Hamza becoming a member of Bangladesh is a significant headache for Indian soccer group

It’s not simply the Indian group that will likely be boasting of star energy of their ranks after they face Bangladesh within the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. With Leicester Metropolis star Hamza Choudhury set to make his maiden look for Bangladesh later this month, the Blue Tigers won’t get to name themselves favourites, even when they’ve the house benefit for the match that takes place in Shillong, Meghalaya on 25 March. And even when they’ve the
legendary Sunil Chhetri again of their ranks.

Choudhury, born to a Grenadian father and a Bangladeshi mom and raised in a standard Muslim family, was given a hero’s welcome in Sylhet within the jap a part of the nation on Monday.

“It feels unimaginable. My coronary heart is pumped,” Choudhury was quoted by The Each day Star as telling reporters on the Osmani Worldwide Airport the place he landed at midday. “Superb, wonderful. A very long time coming. Excited to be right here.”

“InshaAllah, we’ll win in opposition to India!”

-Hamza Choudhury

The Sheffield United star is all set to characterize Bangladesh within the excessive voltage recreation upcoming in opposition to India in Asian Cup Qualifiers.#IndianFootball #INDvBANpic.twitter.com/qEUTRW7nc2

— Discipline Imaginative and prescient (@FieldVisionIND) March 17, 2025

Why Choudhury’s arrival provides Bangladesh the higher hand in opposition to India?

India have been bolstered by the return of iconic ahead Chhetri, who had bid an emotional goodbye to worldwide soccer in June final yr, solely to lately announce his resolution to come back out of retirement for the upcoming fixtures. And Chhetri’s return does strengthen the assault of a group that has been struggling for some time now, having didn’t win a single recreation in 2024, and is presently 126th within the FIFA rankings.

Choudhury, nevertheless, is on a unique stage in comparison with all of the gamers who will likely be in motion on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium subsequent Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who presently is on mortgage at Sheffield United from Leicester, has spent a number of years within the Premier League – thought of by some to be the highest membership soccer league on the earth when it comes to competitiveness in addition to monetary may.

The Leicester Metropolis Academy product made 131 appearances for the ‘Foxes’ since his senior debut in 2017 and was a part of the facet that gained their solely FA Cup title in 2021.

As for Bangladesh’s possibilities of triumphing over the Indian group within the upcoming contest, Choudhury sounded assured.

“Inshallah, we’ll win. I’ve spoken with coach Javier (Cabrera) about many issues. Inshallah, we’ll win and progress,” he added.

Choudhury had represented England, the nation of his beginning on the U-21 stage, making his debut in 2018 and that includes within the UEFA European U-21 Championship the next yr.

And although his dream initially was to characterize the English senior facet, he later determined to change his allegiance to Bangladesh, acquiring a Bangladeshi passport in August final yr earlier than making the swap official in December.

Chhetri, in the meantime, will likely be making his first look for the Indian group underneath coach Manolo Marquez, who had changed Igor Stimac shortly after the latter was axed by the AIFF in June – the identical month during which the ahead had retired.

Six days earlier than their Asian Cup qualifying match in opposition to Bangladesh, India face Maldives in a pleasant match on the similar venue.

What occurs if India lose to Bangladesh later this month

The upcoming fixtures would be the third and ultimate spherical of qualifiers for the nineteenth version of the AFC Asian Cup. A complete of 24 groups are in motion on this spherical and are divided into six teams of 4. The group that finishes on the high of every group will be a part of the 18 groups which have already certified for the event. Either side will likely be play the remaining groups of their group twice – house and away.

India are grouped alongside Hong Kong and Singapore, each of whom are ranked decrease than the Indian group. Hong Kong sit 29 locations under the Blue Tigers within the FIFA rankings at one hundred and fifty fifth and Singapore are an extra 5 locations decrease at a hundred and sixtieth.

Bangladesh, alternatively, are the lowest-ranked group within the group at 185th. However with somebody of Choudhury’s stature of their ranks, the ‘Bengal Tigers’ have the sting of the opposite groups.

Given the truth that just one group can qualify from a bunch, each recreation turns into essential for India in addition to for all the opposite groups concerned. Marquez’s group due to this fact will likely be eyeing a profitable begin irrespective of how huge the problem.

There will likely be a complete of six match-days within the third spherical which will get underway on 25 March and concludes on 31 March subsequent yr. Two of these fixtures – the third and fourth match days – will likely be going down within the month of October (9 and 14) adopted shortly after by Match Day 5 on 18 November.