New Delhi: Afghanistan school boys pounded on the hapless Sri Lankan school team from Colombo and thrashed them 22-0 in the 57th edition of the Subroto Cup International Football Tournament at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium here on Thursday. By winning the match by a huge margin, the muscular Afghan school boys gave a huge warning to other teams in Pool D.

Talking to Indian Sports News, Afghanistan sub-junior football team coach Jawad Ansar said they would be taking one match at a time and go all out for a win. Excerpts:

When did you reach India and how is your experience here?

Jawad: We reached here on Tuesday and this is my first visit to India. So I am pretty much excited about it.

How much is your team prepared for Subroto Cup?

Jawad: We have prepared well for the tournament and hope to better our performance as the tournament progresses. We are taking one match at a time and we are confident of a good performance.

Which team do you consider to be the toughest team?

Jawad: The tournament has just started and we have never seen any team from India playing before. So we would take all the teams we play against very seriously and hope to win matches one by one. At present, Manipur seem to be a tough team to play as their midfielders are playing very well.

Where is your team staying in Delhi and how are the arrangement by the organisers of Subroto Cup?

Jawad: We are staying in a city hotel in North Delhi and we are having a comfortable stay. It is a well organised event and we have not had any problem so far.

Which places in Delhi have you visited?

Jawad: We haven’t got enough time to visit any place in Delhi. But we have planned to visit historical and other famous places once the tournament is over.

How tough is the selection procedure in Afghanistan in sub junior teams?

Jawad: We have tried to bring our best team. We organise various tournament among schools and national level so that only the best team can qualify for this tournament.