Published 02:50 IST, November 12th 2019
FIFA WC: We'll go for the kill, says Qatar match hero Gurpreet Sandhu
India's goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said that the National football team will go for the kill and will try to bring the maximum of the World Cup qualifier
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was the hero of India's stunning draw against the host Qatar the reigning Asian champion and World No. 57 in FIFA rankings. So after the highs of holding Qatar in September and the lows of drawing against Bangladesh in October, India is left with no option but to win their back to back qualifying matches against Afghanistan and Oman in the month of November, if they wish to qualify.
"Will go for the kill"
"We have to go straight into business to churn out positive results in the two matches. I am looking forward to the morning session in Dubai. The stopover in Dubai will significantly facilitate the recovery process before we reach Dushanbe," Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said before taking the flight.
Endorsing Gurpreet's view, captain Sunil Chhetri, said, “A good sleep, proper diet, and recovery are very important to stay in the right shape before we face Afghanistan on November 14. The rest in Dubai will help all shrug off the fatigue.” Coach Igor Stimac said that the morning session in Dubai will “immensely benefit the squad”. “We wanted to fasten the recovery process. The morning session in Dubai will also help us in a way or two before reaching Dushanbe. Everyone in AIFF is putting their best effort together to churn out the best result possible,” he mentioned prior to their departure from Delhi. The 26-member squad will have their first overnight halt in Dubai and also have a training session the next day morning before they fly to Dushanbe.
The two matches are slated against Afghanistan in Dushanbe on Thursday and Oman in Muscat on November 19. The squad had two gym sessions, and two sessions on the artificial turf in the capital to get the players into the groove for the forthcoming challenges. India's coach Igor Stimac said, "The players are coming right from matches and our primary concern is to recover as quickly as possible so that they can hit the ground fresh. Our medical team is taking care of minor niggles. We are trying to utilise every second during the camp and the boys have also responded positively so far."
Updated 03:50 IST, November 12th 2019