Sanan and Nickson graduate from India U23 as senior squad readies for Panama, Brazil and Uruguay matches
Mohammed Sanan and Macarton Nickson have moved up from the India U23 setup to the senior national team and are preparing for India’s fixtures against Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 25, five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time champions Uruguay on October 6 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The pair have trained together in U23 camps and are now together in the senior team camp ahead of the international window.
The two youngsters spent considerable time in India’s U23 national camps, which the article says helped them develop a strong understanding of each other’s games. “I really like the way he plays, especially his through passes, the way he dribbles and takes on his players. I’ve been playing with him for a long time. We were together in the U23 camp, and now we are here again in the senior team camp, so I know him quite well.” “What I like about him the most is the through passes he gives. That’s my favourite thing about him,” said Sanan.
Nickson returned the praise, focusing on Sanan’s willingness to take on defenders directly. “I think he takes on defenders one-v-one and he’s not scared, whoever it is. He just goes for them and enjoys the game. As he said, it’s been a long time for us. We’ve been together for a while, so I really enjoy watching him play and take on players,” said the midfielder. The article notes that this mutual understanding could be valuable as India prepare to confront three World Cup-playing teams in the upcoming international window.
Sanan said the team’s preparation will remain unchanged despite the stature of the opponents. “The preparation will stay the same. We’ve been working hard to play and get better. We’ll just listen to the coach and whatever he says, we’ll try to apply that in the matches. Of course, they’re going to be difficult games, but the preparation is still the same,” he said. He also emphasised learning from watching top players while keeping focus on tactical duties: “As I said, the approach will be the same. We have to listen to what the coach is saying, understand the tactics, and implement what he wants from us when we play against them. We’ve been watching these players and trying to learn things from them, so it’s going to be a very good experience for us.” “But we are playing against them, so we are prepared with that mindset, have been training hard and listening to the coach.”
Nickson described the squad’s mindset as focused and upbeat, reiterating the coaching plan is their priority. “We are trying to stay focused and work according to what the coach tells us and according to the plan. We’re not thinking too much. We are ready and very excited,” he said. He also pointed to his exposure in the UK Unity Cup, where he faced Jamaica and Zimbabwe, as preparation for the coming fixtures: “It was a nice opportunity to play against big teams. It was a good opportunity for us to test ourselves there in the UK. This kind of exposure helps us grow, and we are ready for the upcoming challenge at home now.”
India are scheduled to play Panama on September 25, before meeting Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6. The Panama match is set for the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, while the games against Brazil and Uruguay will be held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.