After the Hero Tri-Nation Series 2023, the Indian football team will be playing in the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023. Odisha, which is often hailed as the “Sports Capital of India” will be hosting it.
The Indian football team spearheaded by Head Coach Igor Stimac and talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri will begin their preparations from around 15th May 2023 and the practice sessions will be key for the Blue Tigers ahead of this tournament.
As per a few reports, a total of 40 players will be called up for the camp. The player list will include players who impressed in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23, Hero Tri-Nation Series 2023 and the Super Cup 2023.
“Bhubaneswar was one of the venues of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and with that, we have seen some excellent infrastructure being developed by the Government of Odisha. It is a legacy that the U-17 Women’s World Cup has left behind and has paved the path for the Senior Men’s National Team to now play in the city for the first time in its history,” said Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran, who is the General Secretary of the AIFF.
“If you look at what happened in Manipur, it was held for the first time, and that way we are confident that fans in Odisha will display equal enthusiasm for the event. We are also hopeful that Odisha football will benefit greatly from hosting the Hero Intercontinental Cup,” he added.
India had won both their matches in the recently-concluded Hero Tri-Nation Series 2023. In the first game against Myanmar, Anirudh Thapa had scored the game and India won the game 1-0.
In the second game against Kyrgyzstan, Sandesh Jhingan and Sunil Chhetri found their names on the goal-scoring sheet and India won the game 2-0.
In this article, we take a look at the teams, history, dates, and venue of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023:
History of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023
The Hero Intercontinental Cup is a 4-nation tournament and it was started by the apex body of Indian football, the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2018. It takes place in India and so far, there have been 2 editions.
India had bagged the honours of the first edition and Kenya was the runners-up. In the second edition, North Korea had won the tournament. Tajikistan was the runners-up. India had a poor outing and finished last.
Dates
The Hero Intercontinental Cup will be taking place between June 9 and June 18.
Venue
Bhubaneshwar will be hosting the tournament in this edition.
Teams
- India
- Mongolia
- Vanuatu
- Lebanon
Also read: Super Cup 2023: Odisha FC Crowned Champions
