Vande Mataram to be played before India vs Brazil friendly

Dubai: Vande Mataram, India’s national song, is expected to be played before the national anthem ahead of Saturday’s India-Brazil international friendly at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

According to Davina Pindoria, Vande Mataram will be played before India’s national anthem Jana Gana Mana at the high-profile football match. Pindoria also posted a video showing the song being played during a sound check at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium on the eve of the game.

Vande Mataram has already been played before India’s recent international cricket matches. It was heard before the national anthem during India’s T20I against Afghanistan in New Delhi and was also played ahead of the match against Japan. The national song was played before the national anthem Jana Gana Mana on those occasions.

The practice comes ahead of what is set to be a landmark night for Indian football. Brazil will play their first senior men’s international in India when they take on the hosts at the 85,000-capacity Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (also known as Salt Lake Stadium).

The five-time world champions, ranked fifth in the FIFA rankings, will face an India side currently ranked 138th. The match is also India’s highest-ranked opposition since the FIFA rankings were introduced in 1992.

Brazil’s squad includes several high-profile names, with Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Bruno Guimaraes and other established players expected to draw a huge crowd in Kolkata.

The fixture is expected to be one of the biggest football events hosted in the country in recent years.