Subhasish Bose was awarded the AIFF Men’s player of the year.
The Indian football team are gearing up for two challenging matches in June 2025, during the international break. They will face off against Thailand in a friendly match-up first, before travelling to face Hong Kong in their second match of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
Subhasish Bose is likely to play in both games after excelling for Mohun Bagan in the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign and helping them win the ISL double. He also won the AIFF Player of the Year award and will be a crucial player for Manolo Marquez’s backline in the upcoming games.
Carrying the momentum to the Indian Football Team
Ahead of the match, Bose spoke about the potential impact his positive club campaign can have on his upcoming games for India. He stated: “Yes my club season went really well. That is why I have a self belief that I’m performing well and am targeting to play even better for the national team.
“The past is the past, it doesn’t matter if I’ve done well or not. The present is that we have two international matches ahead, and I would want us to get our best results in the next two games,” he added.
On India’s goal-scoring drought
India struggled to score a single goal in their 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in the Asian Cup qualifiers opener.
When asked if scoring goals remains an issue for the Blue Tigers, Subhasish Bose stated, “I feel that all matches are not the same. Players have their ups and downs, but if we can work as a team, then we can get clean sheets and also score goals. We have a lot of talented strikers and midfielders who can provide goals in matches, and Sunil [ Chhetri] bhai is also with us. I hope we can score goals in the next two matches and we can maintain a compact backline to get clean sheets.”
On Suhail Bhat’s performance and call-up
Bose is also delighted to see his Mohun Bagan teammate Suhail Bhat get a chance in the India training camp and hopes he can develop himself as one of the best for the Blue Tigers going forward. He explained: “He has the ability, and that is why he’s in the place he is. He has the dedication, and I’ve seen him growing the last two to three years. He gave his best in the Super Cup and proved that if he’s played, he can score goals as well.
“It takes time for a player to develop, and when he gets his chance, he has to play well. He’s in the national team as he’s played well when he’s gotten his chance. He’s got 10-20 years to give his best for the Indian football team and make himself the best striker for India,” he added.
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