Bengaluru, Sep 24 Head coach Khalid Jamil and veteran goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu unanimously thought that the FIFA international friendly against Panama here on Friday could be a starting point for Indian football to understand what it takes to become a world-class team.
India is currently ranked 138th in FIFA chart while Panama stand way above them at 44, and have already played two World Cups in 2018 and 2026.
“I think tomorrow can be a start. I think we can use tomorrow’s game to see what it takes for a World Cup team to operate and Panama, obviously, played in the World Cup, and played really good in my opinion,” said Sandhu on the eve of the match.
“The results didn’t go in their favour. I think they played really good football. We want to do the same and to be a team which is difficult to play and also have great options, be it on the pitch, or in terms of people coming in from the bench.
“And to do that, we need to find new players, create a team and we use these games to get where we want to go,” he added.
“Only the (World Cup) results were not in favour of them. I have seen them. And they have a good coach. One of the best coaches, I think. And they have good players, experienced players. They are a good side.
“If you play more with a stronger team, yes, improvement will be there. This is one step forward. We need to play more matches like this,” he said.
In the World Cup, Panama were clubbed in Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana. Even though they could not win any matches, the newcomers stretched the traditional powerhouses before exiting the global showpiece.
Jamil echoed similar sentiments.
“I think this is a good opportunity to play against a team who has just come from the World Cup. They played really good in the World Cup. They have good players and it is going to be a very good test for us,” he said.
The former Indian player also said he included some young names in the squad to give them more exposure.
“Yes, I have left out some senior players. But it is not like we will not take them again. They are most welcome to be back again. Yes, we are thinking about building a new team. We have younger players. They need to play more matches.
“So, I have decided to mix them with senior players like Gurpeet and Anirudh Thapa, as our aim is to make a good solid team,” he said.
Jamil urged his players not to be defensive against a team, which is superior on all counts.
“I am thanking the clubs for releasing the players a little early as we got some good preparation. Yes, we are playing a stronger team. But at the same time, you cannot defend every time.
“So, there will be a mix of defending and attacking. So, according to the situation, we will react,” he noted.
Sandhu said the team should be focused equally on winning the match against Panama and gaining maximum knowledge from playing against a top side.
“It (the match vs Panama, Brazil and Uruguay) was something which was unexpected. This was something which hasn’t happened at least in my playing career. It’s not like we are going to get big teams to come here or play away games.
“And to convince them, it’s a big thing. For me, it is a great opportunity to get involved in this. It’s all about remembering why we are here and to make sure that we use this opportunity to gain something out of it,” he added.
(PTI News)
