India vs Brazil: Khalid Jamil’s Blue Tigers face biggest test yet in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Two teams navigating turbulent periods of transition, a few routines taking the back seat and new ideas taking shape; some old hands like Sunil Chhetri here and Neymar there riding off into the sunset and new faces ready to take the journey forward. However, the comparison between Brazil and India ahead of their momentous meeting at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday looks to end before it even promises to start a debate.A mismatch? Thrust into a challenge like a lamb to the slaughter? Or ready to play with fire? The Blue Tigers’ face-off with the highest FIFA-ranked rivals can offer one an invitation to absorb the story with diverse perspectives. At the core, though, lies the need to press the reset button.During his long managerial career, Carlo Ancelotti has supervised several rebuilding processes. At Brazil, it’s a different ball game for him though.“Training a club is a different job, but with the national team, you have to be more focused on the selection of the players,” Ancelotti told the TOI during his pre-match press conference on Friday. “We have more time to do the right things. It is very special to have the time to train every day with the Brazilian players.”PSG defender Marquinhos, who is set to lead Brazil in absence of Barcelona’s injured star Raphinha, echoed the sentiment.“Football is extremely competitive. We can’t always win, and that is part of the game, he said.“There are other great teams, and there will sometimes be frustration. But we keep fighting with character and charisma.”With odds heavily stacked against the hosts, India coach Khalid Jamil also gave his own perspective on this somewhat linear trajectory, harping on the anything-can-happen belief in football. He has stirred up a hornet’s nest by wielding his axe on several senior players for the three friendlies in this FIFA window and it’s time now to vindicate the move. It has started well with a credible 1-1 draw with Panama but Brazil will be a different challenge.“Am I losing sleep over this? Surely, pressure is there and we must take pressure. It’s going to be one of our best games and we must be prepared to perform and rise to the challenge,” Jamil said.It will be a dream come true moment for many of the Indian team sharing the pitch with the Brazilians on Saturday. As Marquinhos said: “We know that India will have a lot of motivation to play against Brazil, and we have to respect that.”Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.