# India’s Brazil Test: Pele’s Mohun Bagan Opponent Says Stay Focused 2026-08-06T17:55:10+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India are scheduled to face five-time world champions Brazil in an international friendly in Kolkata on 3 October. National team captain Sandesh Jhingan called Brazil a dream opponent, while former India midfielder Gautam Sarkar advised players not to chase selfie moments or treat the match as a fan experience. Sarkar helped Mohun Bagan hold Pele’s New York Cosmos to a 2-2 draw at Eden Gardens in 1977. Sarkar said India’s low FIFA ranking makes such a fixture rare and could inspire children to take up football. Former team-mate Pradip Choudhury recalled the difficult conditions that aided Mohun Bagan in 1977, but said October’s drier surface and Salt Lake Stadium’s drainage would offer no similar advantage. Jhingan said the match could provide a major stage and help India’s world ranking. ## Coverage - nationalheraldindia.com Tags: Brazil, India football, Kolkata, Pele, Sandesh Jhingan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indias-brazil-test-peles-mohun-bagan-opponent-says-stay-focused/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indias-brazil-test-peles-mohun-bagan-opponent-says-stay-focused/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.