With excitement reaching fever-pitch ahead of the eagerly-anticipated AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers clash between India and Bangladesh in Shillong on March 25, here are what the two key players and the two coaches of the teams said during a pre-match press conference on Monday.  

I think it's going to be an exciting game. We are very much motivated. The team has been training and working hard for 24 days already. We have prepared well, we are confident and we expect a very tight game and hopefully we will make things very difficult for India.

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Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera

When you play against big brother, you always want to win. So, we want to win against India. There is pressure but we are focused on the match because you all know what happened over the last one year. We feel pressure but we are cool. Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan

The two coaches and two key players at the press conference. Photo: BFF

Hamza's inclusion in the Bangladesh national team is a positive step, not just for Bangladesh but for Asian football as a whole….His impact on the pitch remains to be seen, but overall, this is a great addition for Bangladesh.

India coach Manolo Marquez

One thing we know is that whenever India play Bangladesh, we expect a match full of high intensity, passion and adrenaline, be it in football or any sport. We are focused on getting a result.

India defender Sandesh Jhingan