Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has now entered his 13th year with the national team. As the most seasoned player in the Indian squad following Sunil Chhetri’s retirement, Sandhu recently reached a milestone of 75 international caps in a match against Vietnam, where he captained the side and made a critical penalty save.
Currently, Sandhu is training in Hyderabad with the Blue Tigers in preparation for their friendly match against Malaysia on November 18. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he shared insights into their preparations.
“Everyone understands that this is our final FIFA-friendly window before the crucial Asian Cup Qualifiers in March. It’s essential for us to make the most of this opportunity. We’re also happy to have Sandesh Jhingan back in the fold. It’s great to see him fully recovered and already playing a few games for FC Goa.
We have five more days of training before facing Malaysia, which is helpful as it gives us time to work together as a team and adapt to the new system under our coach,” Sandhu explained.
India took on Malaysia in the Merdeka Tournament last October in Kuala Lumpur, where they narrowly lost 2-4 in an intense match. It was Sandhu’s first encounter with the Southeast Asian side, and he felt the result didn’t reflect India’s hard work, calling it an unfortunate outcome. With renewed determination, the Blue Tigers aim to secure a win this time in Hyderabad.
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“Playing in Malaysia was a different experience. They’re a strong side, with a lot of fresh talent and skilled players from abroad. We could have come away with more from that match; it was an unlucky result, especially since we had a goal disallowed. But things like that happen in football. We need to move past it and focus on making sure we get the best outcome at home,” Sandhu reflected.
Sandhu also spoke about the fierce competition for the goalkeeper spot on the national team, with top players like Amrinder Singh and Vishal Kaith pushing each other to perform. Every training session becomes a chance to earn the starting position.
“Representing the national team is a great responsibility. I know how important this role is, so I’m committed to giving my all. It’s a privilege to have goalkeepers like Amrinder and Vishal, as they push me to improve, and I push them. In this team, it’s not about who plays and who doesn’t—it’s about working together. The competition isn’t only among goalkeepers; the outfield players have it too, with young talents from their clubs joining in. When we’re here, we’re united under one goal,” Sandhu emphasized.
Looking ahead, the bigger goal is to qualify for a third consecutive AFC Asian Cup. Having been part of three Asian Cup squads (2011, 2019, and 2023), Sandhu sees this as the minimum objective for the team.
“With every camp under Manolo, we’re aligning more closely with his vision. His expertise and experience will undoubtedly make us a formidable team in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Qualifying should be the minimum for us because we’ve already done it twice. It’s something we should take as a given and build from there. Let’s stay focused and work hard to achieve that,” Sandhu said.