"Maldives Will Be A Good Test": India Defender Rahul Bheke Ahead Of Clash

Indian football team defender Rahul Bheke anticipates a litmus test as the Blue Tigers prepare to face the Maldives in a friendly match before their AFC Asian Cup qualification third-round game against Bangladesh, as per the ISL official website. India's quest to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will begin against neighbours Bangladesh as both sides will face off in the third-round qualifying fixture. The Blue Tigers will face the Maldives in a one-off friendly prior to that, against whom the hosts target their first win in the Manolo Marquez era. Since taking over the charges as the national team head coach, the Spaniard hasn't managed to get a victory with the national team, with India drawing thrice and suffering one defeat in their last four outings.

The Blue Tigers will play a preparatory game against the Maldives at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Wednesday. Marquez's side underwent two engaging training sessions before the Maldives match to get back in shape for the Bangladesh tie.

Bheke acknowledged that both Maldives and Bangladesh possess a similar playing style, which could help them get everything set before the highly-anticipated qualifying fixture. The defender stated that their training sessions were up to the mark and that the squad was pumped up to face the forthcoming challenge.

"We've had a good start to the camp, with two solid training sessions. We had two more days before our friendly, and that's great preparation for the 25th game (against Bangladesh). I think the Maldives will be a good test because they are a similar kind of side to what Bangladesh will be," Bheke said to aiff.com.

The veteran defender faced both Maldives and Bangladesh in the SAFF Championship back in 2021. Having