India will take on China in a football friendly being played in Suzhou today. The match is at 5 pm Billion-plus populations but laggards in a truly global sport -- India and China will go head to head in a football friendly for the first time in 21 years today. Both countries have seen a surge, both in investment and following, in the last decade. Today's match will be played in China's Suzhou. The Indian team is playing an international match in China for the first time, though their senior sides have faced each other 17 times in the past. China have played in India seven times, all of them in the invitational tournament Nehru Cup. The match will be telecast live at 5 pm today. India will be led by star defender Sandesh Jhingan, coach Stephen Constantine revealed in the pre-match press conference in China's Suzhou. "I think he is going to be one of the leaders for India going forward. Keeping the magnitude of the game in mind, I believe he deserves to lead the team," Mr Constantine said. India will be led by star defender Sandesh Jhingan, coach Stephen Constantine said. China is considered the firm favourite for today's game, despite their poor recent form. However, the win-loss record against India is in their favour. India has not won a single match out of the 17, while China has won 12 on occasions. The rest of the matches were a draw. China will also have the home advantage in today's game. The senior teams of India and China last played in the 1997 Nehru Cup in Kochi which the 'Red Dragons' won 2-1. Today's match at Suzhou, around 100 km from Shanghai, has attracted a lot of interest among the football fans in the backdrop of the competition between the two Asian giants on several fronts. India and China account for over a third of the world's population. They are also the fastest growing global economies. But both countries, often called "sleeping giants", have been disappointing in terms of football at the international stage. This is more true for India as the country has not featured in a single FIFA World Cup while China has done so once -- in 2002, when they exited from the group stages after losing all their three matches. Despite being a lesser force on the global stage, China have been consistently among the top-10 in Asia and in the top-100 in the world. They are currently 76th in FIFA rankings and seventh in Asia. China has played 11 times in the Asian Cup, the continent's top competition and has finished runners-up twice and third as many times. India, on the other hand, has played thrice in the Asian Cup (1964 runners-up; 1984 and 2011) and recently broke into the top 100 in the FIFA rankings after a long time. India is currently 97th in FIFA rankings and 15th in Asia. Today's match, being played by both sides in the FIFA international friendly window as part of preparations for the AFC Asian Cup in January next year, will test India's progress in recent years. When asked, Indian coach Stephen Constantine said, "We will go all out for a win. But if we lose, we will try to find out the positive aspects." Lead striker and regular skipper Sunil Chhetri, who will take the field as the country's lead striker, wondered just why it took so long for the two countries to play each other. "We should not afford them much space. At the same time, whenever we find a little room of opportunity, we have to construct the moves and counter them," Sunil Chhetri said. China have been in poor form recently, and have been struggling in the last few international matches it played. China faced a 0-1 loss to an inexperienced Qatar last month and then a 0-0 stalemate with Bahrain.<doc-sep>India vs China Highlights: India held China to a goalles draw. (Express Photo by Karan Prashant Saxena) India vs China Highlights: India held China to a goalles draw. (Express Photo by Karan Prashant Saxena) India vs China Highlights: India held China to a goalless draw in a football friendly match on Saturday as the two sides played for the first time in 21 years in Suzhou. The two sides began well in front of a packed stadium but ended the first half goalless. Both the Asian teams created multiple opportunities and showed intent but could not convert their chances. India’s standout performer in the first half was captain Sandesh Jhingan, who warded off danger for the visitors by ensuring the Chinese attackers fail to convert. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was the visitors’ saviour in the second half.<doc-sep>India and China set to take on each other in a friendly India and China - with billion-plus populations but laggards in a truly global sport - will go head to head in a football friendly for the first time in 21 years on Saturday with the home team a firm favourite despite poor recent form. India is playing an international match for the first time in China though the senior sides have faced each other 17 times in the past. China has played in India seven times, all of them in the invitational Nehru Cup. India has not won a single match of these while China has trumped on 12 occasions; five have ended in draws. The senior teams last played in the 1997 Nehru Cup in Kochi which the ‘Red Dragons’ won 2-1. Saturday’s match here, around 100 km from Shanghai, has attracted a lot of interest among football fans and media. Bold move It is a bold move on India’s part to play against China as it has not played in against a top side the recent past in the continent except in the Asian Cup or World Cup qualifiers. The match, part of preparations for the AFC Asian Cup in January next month, will test India’s ‘real’ progress and its stake as a country hoping to be among the Asian elite. “We are fully aware that China are a big side in the region. They will be a very difficult side. They want to play possession football, attacking football,” said coach Stephen Constantine. “We will go all out for a win. But if we lose, we will try to find out the positive aspects.” “We should not afford them much space. At the same time, whenever we find a little room of opportunity, we have to construct the moves and counter them,” regular captain Sunil Chhetri said. For this match, however, defender Sandesh Jhingan win lead the side. The home team’s 2006 World Cup winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi cannot afford anything other than a win on Saturday with less than three months left for the Asian Cup, which will be his last tournament with the Chinese national side.<doc-sep>India vs China Live Football Score (Courtesy: @IndianFootball/footballchina) That is it from our live coverage of the China vs India International football friendly encounter at the Suzhou Sports Centre. It's been 21 years since the two sleeping giants of football last locked horns but there arguably isn't a better time for the Indian side to attempt and take a maiden victory over their Chinese counterparts. Of the 17 times the two teams have faced each other in the senior level, the Indians have never been able to beat their opponents, losing 13 and drawing 4 matches. India vs China Live Football Score: 18:57 IST: PEEEPP!!!! PEEEPPP!!!! PEEEPPP!!!!! And there goes the whistle. Gurpreet's strong hands help India draw against China. 18:53 IST, 90 minutes into the game: Five minutes of added time. 18:48 IST, 85 minutes into the game: Cross curled in, heads towards the Chinese in the far right corner, but Gurpreet leaped just in time to push it over the striker. Score 0-0 18:47 IST, 84 minutes into the game: Two back-to-back attack by China, but still left disappointed for the scoreline still reads 0-0. This is heading towards a dream scoreline. 18:41 IST, 78 minutes into the game: OOOOOAAAHHHHH!!! Sandesh with the header from the corner and the balls sails over the post. Score 0-0 18:40 IST, 77 minutes into the game: FISH MARKET inside the Indian penalty box!!! Everyone plunged in to strike the ball, but it failed to cross the goal line. India still in game. Score 0-0 18:38 IST, 75 minutes into the game: GURPREEEETTTT!!! He is the saviour for India!!! Stunning!!! Strong right hand and he drifts the header away from danger for a corner again. He is keeping the scoreline 0-0 for India. 18:32 IST, 70 minutes into the game: OHHHHH.....SAVED!!! Again!!! First a side net and then a woodwork again. India proving to be lucky and lucky again and again and that is frustrating Lippi and his men. 18:29 IST, 67 minutes into the game: Freekick for China again, 25 yards out. Sails over the post. China are getting closer and closer, but still far away from making the right impact on target. Score 0-0 18:26 IST, 63 minutes into the game: Freekick, finds a red between the men in Blue, but the header sins away from the post. Score still stands goalless. 18:19 IST, 56 minutes into the game: UDAANTAAAA!!! Clear shot, but skied over the post. Great play from India, though. 18:17 IST, 55 minutes into the game: Freekick for China, free header as well, but directed well past the post. A wave of attacks from China are hitting India. The visitors need to regroup against the hosts who are looking more dominant in this half. Score 0-0 is the only relief 18:14 IST, 52 minutes into the game: Lobbed over the defense line, striker collects, Gurpreet charges and the shot goes away from target. China look disappointed, but a sigh of relief for India as score still remains 0-0 18:12 IST, 49 Minutes into the game: OHHHHHH!!! So close!!!! Hits the woodwork!!! Another attack created by China, curled in from the right corner and struck towards the target. Gurpreet left helpless, but luck favours India. Score 0-0 18:08 IST: And the sceond half kicks off. India would like to stick to their plan that worked out successfully for them, against their formidable opponents. 17:51 IST: And the whistle blows. Fantastic account for India as they hold China for a 0-0 scoreline at half-time. Indian defense was rock solid against an array of Chinese attacks. 17:50 IST, 45 minutes into the game: One minute of added time. 17:49 IST, 44 minutes into the game: Long throw, finds the head inside the crowded Indian defense, but the ball was flicked miles over the post. Score 0-0 17:48 IST, 42 minutes into the game: EMPTY NET, no keeper, he is running back to position, but India strike the ball far away from target. Jeje calls for handball, but the referee doesn't listen. Score 0-0 17:45 IST, 40 minutes into the game: Fourth corner for China. Comes after a really long time. India has been defending strongly. Headed away by Sandesh Jhinghan. Score 0-0 17:37 IST, 32 minutes into the game: Cross laid far to the right. Who's there? No one and the defeder fails to clear it as Jeje comes just in time to strike a poor shot. Score 0-0 17:33 IST, 28 minutes into the game: Around the half-hour mark and India haven't conceded a goal. India have done that only once in the last eight matches which shows they are a strong defensive side. Score 0-0 17:29 IST, 23 minutes into the game: Passed, passed to the left again, empty and China unleashes the terror, but Gurpreet comes to the rescue to keep India in the battle. Score 0-0. 17:24 IST, 19 minutes into the game: Corner for China now, laid into the box and punched away fron safety by Gurpreet. Stunnner!!! India maybe struggling, but they are also fighting hard against the formidable Red Dragons. 17:22 IST, 17 minutes into the game:WOOOAAAHHHH!!! Chhetri left unmarked towards the far right post, receives the ball and directs it inches over the post. Score 0-0 17:20 IST, 14 minutes into the game: China with the corner, curled, head and straight into the hands of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Score 0-0. 17:18 IST, 12 minutes into game: First attempt on goal by India. Stunning shot from Pritam, but glided off by the keeper. First real chance from India and China were tested. Score 0-0 17:15 IST, 10 minutes into the game: India slowly finding the rhythm, but still a way to lose . No Rowlin Borges in the lineup today. Thord corner for China comes up. FAR AND WIDE!!! China making a strong impact in the game. 17:12 IST, 7 minutes into the game: Tough start for India. China have managed to put early pressure on India with already creating several chances against the Blue Tigers. Score 0-0<doc-sep>
SUZHOU (China): Billion-plus populations but laggards in a truly global sport -- India and China will go head to head in a football friendly for the first time in 21 years on Saturday with the home team a firm favourite despite poor recent form.The Indian team is playing an international match for the first time in China though their senior sides have faced each other 17 times in the past. China have played in India seven times, all of them in the invitational tournament Nehru Cup India will be led by star defender Sandesh Jhingan, coach Stephen Constantine revealed in the pre-match press conference here. "I think he is going to be one of the leaders for India going forward. Keeping the magnitude of the game in mind, I believe he deserves to lead the team," Constantine said.India has not won a single match out of the 17 while China has come out trumps 12 on occasions.Five matches have ended in draws. The senior teams of India and China last played in the 1997 Nehru Cup in Kochi which the 'Red Dragons' won 2-1.Saturday's match at Suzhou, around 100 km from Shanghai, has attracted a lot of interest among the football fans and the media in the backdrop of the competition between the two countries in several spheres as well as the fact that they are playing a football match for the first time after 1997.Neighbours India and China account for one-third of the world's population and they are the fastest growing and competing global economies but they have remained "sleeping giants" with nothing much to show at the world stage.This is truer for India as the country has not featured in a single FIFA World Cup while China has done so once -- in 2002 when they exited from the group stages after losing all their three matches.Despite being a lesser force on the global stage, China, nonetheless, is one of the established football countries in Asia. The 'Red Dragons' have been consistently among the top-10 in Asia and in the top-100 in the world.The country is now 76th in FIFA rankings and seventh in Asia.China has played 11 times in the Asian Cup, the continent's top-flight competition and has finished runners-up twice and third as many times.India, on the other hand, has played only thrice in the Asian Cup (1964 runners-up; 1984 and 2011) and recently broke into the top 100 in the FIFA rankings after a long time. The country is now 97th in FIFA rankings and 15th in Asia.It is a bold move on India's part to play against China as they have not played in the recent past against a top side in the continent except in the Asian Cup or the World Cup qualifiers and it is also fraught with consequences.The match, being played by both sides in the FIFA international friendly window as part of preparations for the AFC Asian Cup in January next month, will test India's 'real' progress and its stake as a country hoping to be among the Asian elite. "We are fully aware that China are a big side in the region. They will be a very difficult side. They want to play possession football, attacking football," Constantine said. "We will go all out for a win. But if we lose, we will try to find out the positive aspects. "Lead striker and regular skipper Sunil Chhetri , who will take the field as the country's lead striker, wondered just why it took so long for the two countries to play each other. "We should not afford them much space. At the same time, whenever we find a little room of opportunity, we have to construct the moves and counter them," said Chhetri.China are the favourites to win tomorrow's match but the home side would know that it cannot be complacent as it has been struggling of late after a 0-1 loss to an inexperienced Qatar last month and then a 0-0 stalemate with Bahrain.The home team's 2006 World Cup winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi cannot afford to anything other than a win on Saturday with less than three months left for the Asian Cup, which will be his last tournament with the Chinese national side.