BHUBANESWAR: The India men’s football team will begin its Intercontinental Cup campaign with a first-ever meeting against Mongolia at the Kalinga Stadium here on Friday. The third edition of the four-team tournament will kick off with a clash between Lebanon and Vanuatu earlier in the day at the same venue.

After facing Mongolia, India will take on Vanuatu and Lebanon on June 12 (Monday) and June 15 (Thursday) respectively in its remaining round-robin matches. Speaking ahead of the tournament opener, India head coach Igor Stimac said that the home team had set its sights on winning the trophy.

“We are expecting to win the tournament and that is why we are here. We will do everything possible to make that happen.” Stressing that the 2024 AFC Asian Cup would be India’s big target, Stimac said that every minute of competitive action would help the team’s cause. After the Intercontinental Cup, India will fight for top honours in the SAFF Championship, which will be hosted in Bengaluru later this month.