Football

Qualifying for AFC Cup is very crucial, we will take it one game at a time: India defender Pritam Kotal

 

Indian defender Pritam Kotal has said qualifying for AFC Cup is very crucial and they will take it one game at a time in the upcoming qualifiers. India is in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, with teams like Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Cambodia.

All of the matches will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata and India will have crowd support. Thus, the home side will favorite in their group and they will aim to bring their best to the pitch.

India recently suffered a 0-2 loss against Jordan in a Friendly contest and they will look to bounce back stronger.

India has shown improvements in the recent past and they will look to come up with a collective effort.

“It’s a big advantage for us to play in front of our fans. Especially because we have not been able to play in front of our own fans for a long time due to Covid-19. So, I would like to encourage all the fans to come ahead and support us in these three games. We will try to give our best – together we can,” said Kotal during an interview to the AIFF Media team.

“It’s absolutely crucial for us as a nation to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup, and all of us in the team are completely focused on that. We will try our best and hopefully will make it to the tournament properly. We need to take it match by match, and we must do well in all the three games ahead of us,” the defender further added.

On the other hand, Subhashish Bose believes it will be great to play in front of the home crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.

“Kolkata is the Mecca of Indian Football. The fans here are great. So many clubs have dedicated fans here, and the great thing is that they all come together to cheer for India when we play as a nation in this city. I hope there is a lot of noise from the stands. That will boost all of us. From our end, we need to pay them back with a qualification for the AFC Asian Cup,” Bose told the AIFF Media team in an interview.

“It was an amazing feeling in the UAE. So many Indian fans had come to the ground there, it was great. We tried our best back then, but we could not make it to the knockout rounds. Of course, we would love to go one better in the next edition — but first, we need to qualify – and for that, we need to do well in these three upcoming matches,” Subhasish said.

India will begin their campaign against Cambodia on Wednesday.

 

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

India vs England 3rd ODI: Struggling England must find right balance against dominant Indians

India delivered a phenomenal performance in the second ODI, led brilliantly by the skipper. It's … Read More

February 11, 2025

Khalid Jamil says performance was not up to the mark after loss against Bengaluru FC

Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil was not impressed with his team’s performance after suffering… Read More

February 11, 2025

Novak Djokovic makes honest admission about why he is still playing

Novak Djokovic has achieved almost everything in the record books. He has 24 Grand Slams… Read More

February 11, 2025

Liverpool’s Arne Slot calls shock FA Cup exit ‘unacceptable’

Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot has called the shock FA Cup exit as unacceptable. The Reds… Read More

February 11, 2025

Gerard Zaragoza expresses delight after much-needed win against Jamshedpur FC

Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza was delighted after a comprehensive 3-0 win against Jamshedpur… Read More

February 11, 2025

Luka Doncic scores 14 in 24 minutes in debut win with Lakers

After the shock trade, Luka Doncic finally made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers.… Read More

February 11, 2025