Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 27, 2023, 18:29 IST
Indian males’s soccer staff (AIFF)
India will face Kyrgyz Republic in the final recreation to determine the winner of the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament
In the third and final recreation of the Tri-Nation International Football Tournament, hosts India and Kyrgyz Republic will battle it out for the trophy on the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal on Tuesday at 6 pm IST.
The Indian males’s soccer staff started with a slender 1-0 win over Myanmar final Wednesday, with Anirudh Thapa’s strike late in the primary half made all of the distinction in a match with loads of possibilities and shut shaves. In the second recreation of the match, Kyrgyz Republic snatched a 1-1 draw towards Myanmar, with Kairat Zhyrgalbek Uulu equalising for the Central Asians with just about the final kick of the sport.
As issues stand, Kyrgyz Republic require a win towards India to declare the trophy, whereas a draw will do for the hosts. However, Indian males’s soccer staff head coach Igor Stimac affirmed in the pre-match press convention that his aspect will solely be going for the win. “We will go all out to win. We have a full house with our supporters and a chance to prove ourselves. It will also be a much stronger team than the first game.
“I was right when I said Myanmar is a serious side that can hurt you. We saw that against the Kyrgyz Republic. It will, of course, be a different challenge against the Kyrgyz side because they don’t have any option but to come out and win,” said Stimac, who expects an attacking contest from both sides on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, who started in the 1-0 win over Myanmar, accompanied Stimac in the press conference and shared his thoughts on his performance. “I always try to do my best whenever I get the chance. Coach gives me a lot of confidence on and off the pitch. I work hard in training, rest well, sleep well and eat well. I’m happy with my performance and I want to keep it up,” he mentioned.
Stimac was all praise for the custodian as well. He said, “I have a lot of confidence in Amrinder. He had top reactions and eliminated every danger. He has always done well in the few games he’s played under me – against Thailand (1-0), Oman (1-1) and now Myanmar (1-0).”
The Indian men’s football team coach also informed that Sahal Abdul Samad has joined the National Team camp in Imphal ahead of tomorrow’s game. “Sahal is here with us as we have a couple of injuries. He will be another option for us.”
Kyrgyz Republic head coach Alexander Krestinin expressed his disappointment with his side’s opening-match result against Myanmar, even mentioning that they might’ve taken the game a bit casually.
“We reviewed the game (against Myanmar). A lot of things didn’t go as planned. We have also analysed India’s matches and will look to correct our previous mistakes tomorrow. We will make some changes in the team,” said Krestinin.
The Russian has been in charge of the Kyrgyz side since 2014 and faced India twice during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign (a 2-1 win at home and a 0-1 loss away). But he stated that those results will have no bearing on tomorrow’s encounter. “The previous games against India don’t affect our preparations for tomorrow. Now, there are many new faces on both sides and it will be a different sort of game,” said Krestinin.
Read all of the Latest Sports News right here
