Published 21:29 IST, November 9th 2019
Floyd Pinto aims to finish India's campaign on a winning note
Indian U-19 head coach Floyd Pinto said that the team is determined to end tournament on a winning note having lost 2 matches against Saudi Arabia & Uzbekistan
Having lost two tough matches against higher-ranked Saudi Arabia & Uzbekistan, head coach Floyd Pinto now aims to sign off India's campaign at the AFC Under 19 qualifier against Afghanistan on Sunday on a winning note.
"We have treated every game like a final and will go into the Afghanistan match with the same intensity and attitude as we have. We know that they will also be fighting for pride and we can expect a good game against them. Playing three matches in five days is not easy and we'll assess the players and see how they recover. We are all determined to end this tournament on a winning note," Pinto said ahead of the match.
'Saudi Arabia punished us every time we gave away the ball cheaply'
Floyd reflected on the result against Saudi Arabia, where the team lost by four goals - all of which came in the first half-hour of the match. He stated that against an opposition of the quality of the host nation, who are also the defending AFC U19 champions, one's errors will be punished.
"You cannot give an opposition like Saudi Arabia such easy opportunities to score. They are a quality team and punished us every time we gave the ball away cheaply. The first goal changed a lot of things - we switched off and lost our shape," he observed.
"However, we improved in the second half and now, we have to pick ourselves up and get ready for the next match against Afghanistan."
The head coach reserved a special mention for the Indian supporters, who came out in large numbers to support the team at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium and added a great flavour to the atmosphere with their chants and drums.
"They really gave the boys a lot of confidence. They continued to support us even when the chips were down and we were behind. At half-time, we could hear the sound of their drums and roars in the dressing room and that really made an impact on the players as they went out for the second half. I hope we can give them a good result on Sunday."
Updated 21:48 IST, November 9th 2019