Bengaluru: Spirit, heart, determination, teamwork, hard work, are some of the constituents which decide the outcome of any Football match. On June 11, 2015 when India clash swords in the 2018 Russia 2018 World Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification match against Oman, National Coach Stephen Constantine points out that “India will try to give them a run for their money.”
“From the first minute, we will fight and play our heart out and make it as difficult as we can for our opponents. We are going to need team spirit, cohesion and team-work tomorrow,” he added. “The game against Oman will be tough as they are a good side, and have been consistent for quite some time.”
Referring to India’s ‘Team Building exercise’ organised by the Indian Army, newly appointed Captain Arnab Mondal mentioned the effort has helped to understand “how we can cope up with pressure.”
“It was a new experience for us. It handed us the opportunity to test our mental limits and to see how we would perform under pressure,” Mondal echoed.
“We weren’t told about the Camp and it came as a pleasant surprise for us. What worked for us was team-coordination and togetherness,” striker Sunil Chhetri, sitting next quipped. “It was tough and it tested us to the limits but we got through it with the help of each other and that is what matters”
Despite the latest FIFA Rankings seeing India move to 141, Coach Constantine wasn’t willing to read much into it. “Although it is good to see yourself go up, it does not makes us a powerhouse in Football. But indeed it is one of the many positive steps in the right direction towards the growth of Indian Football.”
“FIFA Rankings are there for a reason. They place you in a bracket. Although there are a lot of variables which decide your ranking, we intend to take one game at a time and see where that leads us.”
The no-nonsense man further informed that he is building a squad for the future. “I am building a squad for the future. I need to find the right balance the right attitude and the right mentality in every player I pick. If the Players are working hard and performing consistently in the Hero I-League and the training sessions, then they certainly will get an opportunity to play.”
“The objective is to build forward and this takes a great deal of support from each and every Indian fan. We have eight games in hand and that are playing more fixtures are bound to increase our level”, he pronounced.
Furthermore the trio urged the fans to flock the Kanteerva Stadium and create a caldron, to support and ‘Back the Blue.’
“Indians should support India. We are representing the Nation and we need the fans behind us. The fans need to come out and support, we don’t need you next week, we need you now. We hope the fans will come and induce an atmosphere to remember.”
Meanwhile, Sandesh Jhingan has been ruled out for the matches against Oman and Guam. “It was about an injury sustained in the Hero ISL. We did an MRI and there has been a tear detected. He needs a surgery. That’s a setback for us for sure,” Constantine informed.
By Joseph Solomon,
AIFF Media Team