New Delhi, July 11: The Indian men’s football team will make its first-ever tour of New Zealand when they travel there for two international friendlies against the hosts on November 12 and 15 during the FIFA international match window, the national federation announced on Saturday.
The tour will also mark India’s first visit to an Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) member nation since 2005, when it played two international friendlies against Fiji.
The first match will take place at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland, while the second will be held at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
The matches were announced as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand and will be among a series of sporting events marking ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between the two nations.
India and New Zealand have faced each other on two previous occasions — a goalless draw in the 1981 Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia and a 2-1 victory for the visitors in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai. New Zealand recently participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they drew with Iran and lost to Egypt and Belgium.
“It is always a positive experience to face teams that compete at the highest level.
“New Zealand are a well-organised side with recent FIFA World Cup experience, and playing away from home against them will be a valuable challenge for our players.
“We are looking forward to the matches,” India head coach Khalid Jamil stated in the release. (PTI)
