New Delhi: The Indian men’s national team, after defeating hosts Tajikistan last week, are now winding up for the clash against Asian giants IR Iran in the CAFA Nations Cup at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, Tajikistan, which will kick off on Monday.
India head coach Khalid Jamil credited the victory against the hosts to the unity amongst the entire team. “The win was all down to the unity that the players showed on the pitch. They all worked in unison. Not only the players, but the entire staff – the technical, non-technical, and medical staff all worked together, and the unity within the team is visible,” Jamil told AIFF’s official website on the eve of the match.
India (133rd in the FIFA rankings) next face Iran (ranked 20th), a match that may very well be termed as a ‘David versus Goliath’ affair. The India head coach, however, is focussed on getting the Blue Tigers up and ready for the match against the Asian giants.
“The win in the last game was a huge motivation for us, but the main thing right now is for us to be ready for the Iran game. We’ve had two days to recover, and now we need to ensure that everyone is fresh when we face Iran,” said Jamil.
Defender Sandesh Jhingan, who scored the second goal in the 2-1 victory against Tajikistan and was named Player of the Match for his performance, stressed the importance of using the Tajikistan win to build momentum for the real objectives.
“Yes, we are happy that we got a win and that we have three points, but we must build on this win as a nation and as a team. We must continue to improve, because our main aim is to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the third consecutive time,” said Jhingan. “These games are important for us to prepare for the upcoming qualifiers (against Singapore).”
Iran have the march over India in the head-to-head record; the former having won four, while the Blue Tigers scored two victories against Team Melli, on the six occasions that the two sides have crossed swords. However, India’s last win against Iran came in 1959 in Ernakulam, when goals from Chuni Goswami, Yusuf Khan, and Tulsidas Balaram helped the hosts win 3-1.
India last faced Team Melli back in 2016 in the World Cup qualifiers, where the latter won 4-0 in Tehran. Of the current squad, only Jhingan and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu were present in the team back in 2016.
“I think only the two of us (Jhingan and Sandhu) have played against them in this squad, so we know what kind of a challenge they will pose. And of course, they have only gotten better over the years, playing in the World Cup on a regular basis,” said Sandhu.
“What we have learned playing against top opposition like Iran is that we have to make the most of our chances when they come by, and minimise our mistakes as much as we can, because such teams will punish any lapses.
“But the most important thing is to believe in the team and stay united at all times,” said Sandhu. “We must follow the plans laid out by the coach with all honesty. We must make sure that we make life difficult for them. We must show bravery and desire. Nothing is impossible in football – the Grimsby vs Manchester United (match) was an example of that.”
(IANS)
