When India resumes play against higher-ranked Iraq in the four-team King's Cup on Thursday, they will sorely miss their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri.
Chhetri, who was a key player in India's victories in the SAFF Championship and Intercontinental Cup, has taken a break from playing since the birth of their child to be with his wife.
After winning three championships, including the Tri-Nation competition in Imphal in March, the team led by Igor Stimac is back in action.
In the four-nation event, where the winners of the two round-robin matches meet in the final, Iraq, who recently won the Arabian Gulf Cup, will start as strong favorites. Iraq is ranked 29 places higher than India in the FIFA rankings.
Later in the day, hosts Thailand will play Lebanon in the other game. The two unsuccessful teams will fight for the bronze medal before Sunday's championship game.
The fact that India has lost four games to Iraq and drawn two more makes this more difficult for the Stimac-coached team.
In their most recent meeting, India and Iraq lost 0-2 in Sharjah during a pre-Asian Cup friendly.
"After beating Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, they are one of the clear favorites in the upcoming Asian Cup. So it's going to be very difficult for us, but I hope our boys will enjoy the game," he added.
Jesus Casas, the Iraqi squad's coach, is six years Stimac's junior and a former youth player for Cádiz CF in Spain, where the Croatian played for two seasons between 1992 and 1994. Casas also served as Stimac's youth team coach.
"I'm very happy to be seated here with an old friend from my playing days in Spain," Stimac said.
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