The Indian men’s football team was smiling after qualifying for the second consecutive time in the AFC Asian Cup. This will be India’s fifth appearance at the Continental Championships. But at the same time, they are unwilling to enjoy the glory, and insist that “the real work begins now.”
“The spirit across the team is incredible, and it is because of the way we have performed in each and every game. All 3 games demanded a different approach, and we managed to do it. However, the real work begins now, as we aim to do better than last time. The sky is the limit for these boys,” said Sandesh Jhingan.
“I feel good and happy, but not for myself – I feel good and happy for the players, I feel good and happy for the people who have supported us over the past three years which haven’t been easy I am very happy because of these wonderful people and supporters who cheered us on in Kolkata – all this was really important for us. I appreciate it,” said head coach Igor Stimac.
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The head coach also attested to the discipline, aggression and attitude of the boys. “There was some tremendous work done in the last 7 weeks. The boys were aggressive when needed and patient when needed. They retaliated when needed, and did middle press and high press when needed. They kept getting up, every time. Never came down after a match,” expressed Stimac.
Striker Ishaan Pandita, who scored his first international goal, was unwilling to part with the ball post match. “It is an extraordinary feeling to score your first goal for the country. I hope this is the first of many. The ball will be my pillow, and this jersey will be my pillow cover,” he smiled.
There was also another Blue Tiger who scored his first international goal in the match against Hong Kong. “It’s a feeling I can’t describe,” said central defender Anwar Ali with a smile. “A qualification for the Asian Cup, my first international goal, and it came out in front of such an emotional crowd. I am speechless,” he said.
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His colleague and senior supporter Sandesh Jhingan described Anwar as a “great person”.
“We have known each other for many years. He is a very humble boy and his mindset is unbelievable. Keep dreaming, keep making your dream of playing football come true. I have a lot of respect for him,” Sandesh said.
Liston Colaco said that “the goal has been achieved, and there are big goals to be achieved.”
“We have been aiming for this from the very beginning of the group stage. We have achieved our goal, and credit goes to the coach for being patient and working with us on the training pitch. One qualification after another is extremely important for Indian football. Now is the time to work hard for bigger goals.”
Captain Sunil Chhetri said: “It is a special feeling to seal the top spot in the group in such a fashion and in front of all these fans. It was great to see Manveer score, and Ishaan’s score was great to see, and it was great to see Anwar score in the beginning. It’s always about the team and it’s great to see that.”
“We need to make sure we prepare well, and have the largest pool to choose from. We need to make sure that we do the best we can and give a good account of ourselves in the Asian Cup.
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