Merdeka Cup campaign begins on Friday

Fresh from a rather creditable performance in the pre-World Cup qualifiers, India will be hoping to maintain the tempo in the forthcoming Merdeka Cup football tournament, beginning in Malaysia on Thursday.

The Indians, participating in the tournament after a 15-year gap, open their campaign with a match against the Malaysia under-23 team on Friday.

India were twice runners-up in the tournament since first participating in 1959 and managed to reach the semi-finals stage in their last appearance in 1986.

Coach Sukhwinder Singh and his boys will be keen to put up a good show in the eight-team tournament as they are familiar with the styles and strengths of most of the participating countries.

Hosts Malaysia, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bahrain have been clubbed in Group A, while Group B comprises India, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Malaysia under-23.

The tournament will be played on a league-cum-knock out basis, with the two top teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.

The Indians have the advantage of having seen the Bosnia and Bahrain teams which had taken part in the Millennium Cup, which was held in the country, in January this year.