For the past few months, we have seen Indian football team maturing as an international team. Their rise in the FIFA rankings is a testament to the fact that India as a country have started to develop as a football team, and we can expect them to compete against the best in the world in a few years time. Their victory over Kyrgyzstan was their eight successive win and puts them in a strong position in the AFC Cup qualifications. After the match, Sunil Chhetri reflects on India’s superb victory over Kyrgyzstan.
“I’m part of the national team for more than 10 years. Trust me, I don’t remember when was the last time we played such a fantastic brand of football,” Chhetri.
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“We got a heavy bashing from the gaffer in the dressing room. Clearly, the situation wasn’t an ideal one. That’s why, when we came out for the next 45 minutes, it was a changed side, more focused and more promising,” Chhetri said.
“Last day it was Udanta, tonight it was Jeje. Had they not made the scintillating run to feed me with the passes, those goals would not have seen the light of the day. It’s not about me, it’s about the team.”
“My goal might be the cherry at the top but the credit goes to all. Right from (goalkeeper) Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the tenacious defenders, midfielders, everyone fought to their limit to churn out this result”, he added.
India’s coach, Constantine paid tribute to the coaching staff after the win,
“More than anyone else, India deserved this. Not only the boys who played out there, everyone in the back office, the fans, and the staff played their part to get this result. I believe, the entire nation deserved this,” he said.
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“How about 9?” I’m not a person who looks into the numbers too much. But 13 wins in 15 matches is really remarkable. Be it amateur level or international, producing this sort of result day in and day out is truly applaudable.”
“Right from Gurpreet to Sunil, everyone played a terrific brand of football to grab this victory. My boys have proven how closely knit they are. We knew the match would be a taxing one and it actually was. They have shown their mettle to stay top of the table.”
