Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 7 (ANI): India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu described the upcoming international friendlies against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay as a "great opportunity" for the team to test themselves against World Cup-level opposition, while stressing the need to treat the matches as games rather than getting carried away by the occasion.
The Blue Tigers will face Panama on September 26 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Besides the Panama clash, India will also take on two higher-ranked opponents during the international window -- five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6, with both matches scheduled to be played in Kolkata.
Speaking to ANI, veteran goalkeeper Gurpreet said the matches will allow Indian players to gauge where they stand as a team and as a nation.
"For us, it's a great opportunity to test ourselves against World Cup competition, and it's good for everyone to kind of gauge where we stand as a nation and as a team. So I feel like it's great for Indian football that this is happening," Gurpreet told ANI.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper said facing teams he had previously watched at the World Cup was "somewhat crazy", but urged his teammates to make the most of the opportunity and put up a strong fight on home soil.
"For me, watching them and now almost facing them is somewhat crazy to think about. But anything is possible in football, and this is happening, so let's make the most of it and go out there and give a tough fight because at the end of the day we are playing at home," he said.
Asked how he prepares to face world-class attackers from teams such as Brazil and Uruguay, Gurpreet said his routine remains largely unchanged, with fitness, mental freshness and competitive training being key.
"To be honest, there's nothing different that I do. It's about staying fresh and staying fit. Being 34 now doesn't help, and if I was 23, maybe it would be easier for me to stay fresh and be ready for games and training. But now I think it's all about keeping the head fresh, mentally fresh and ready and also physically as well," he said.
Gurpreet also highlighted the importance of training alongside quality players at Bengaluru FC, saying the competition in training helps him prepare for the intensity of international matches.
"When you're training against good players, it pushes you to a limit, and that automatically applies to games. So that's the motto, and the blueprint is to recreate that level of competition in training. It is hard, but it's something that you've already faced, so you're ready, let's say. It's important to have that," he added.
While Brazil and Uruguay boast a rich footballing history and have produced several legendary players, Gurpreet said India must avoid treating the fixtures as an overwhelming occasion and instead focus on their tactical and physical preparation.
"We all are fans of these teams, fans of so many players from Brazil and Uruguay as well. Such legends have come out of both these countries, both national teams. So right now, as a player, hand on my heart, I can't tell you how it feels because for me I'm just looking at it as a game," Gurpreet said.
The India goalkeeper insisted that the team must approach the matches with the mindset of competing against 11 players rather than being overawed by the names of their opponents.
"We need to prepare ourselves in that fashion and not think of the game as an occasion; play the game as a game. And go out there to give our 100% and make life difficult for them," he said.
"As exciting as the occasion sounds, it is more about preparing yourself tactically, mentally and physically rather than thinking of it as a big occasion. It's more about our objective; this is how we will play and go out there and give it our all and try to win," he added.
Meanwhile, the Blue Tigers have named a 26-player squad for the September-October FIFA International Match Window.
India's 26-player squad for the September-October FIFA men's international friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Head coach: Khalid Jamil.
Four players have been named as reserves -- goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, defenders Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Roshan Singh Naorem, and midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam -- and may be called up to the squad if required. (ANI)
"Great opportunity to test ourselves": Gurpreet on India’s international friendlies against Brazil, Uruguay and Panama
