There will be no easy matches at AFC qualifiers: India coach Stephen Constantine | Football News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

There will be no easy matches at AFC qualifiers: India coach Stephen Constantine

New Delhi | ByPTI
Feb 01, 2017 04:08 PM IST

Indian football team coach Stephen Constantine says India can progress from Group A of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. India, led by Sunil Chhetri, have been drawn with Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar and Macau in Group A .

India football coach Stephen Constantine feels India have a legitimate chance to qualify from Group A but said there won’t be any easy games in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Indian football team coach Stephen Constantine said the side, led by Sunil Chhetri (R), has a great chance to advance from Group A of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.(Getty Images)
Indian football team coach Stephen Constantine said the side, led by Sunil Chhetri (R), has a great chance to advance from Group A of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.(Getty Images)

India have been drawn with Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar and Macau in Group A of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, beginning next month.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Read more | Deal Struck, India’s World Cup U1-7 football coach Nicolai Adam agrees to leave

“On paper it looks favourable. It does give us the hope that we have a legitimate chance to qualify from the group,” Constantine said.

“I need to take you back to the draw of the World Cup Qualifiers where we were drawn with Guam and Turkmenistan and there was a generic feeling all around – ‘no problem, we will have it easy.’,” the 54-year-old added referring to India’s disappointing last-place finish at the World Cup qualifiers.

Read more | Mohun Bagan AC face Colombo FC challenge in AFC Cup preliminary stage

Seeking to make it to the AFC Asian Cup Finals after their last appearance in 2011 in Qatar, India will begin their campaign against Myanmar in an away match on March 28.

Constantine said: “Myanmar has made it to the final of the Suzuki Cup and on the back of qualifying on merit to the FIFA U-20 World Cup under their German Coach, they are a very difficult team to play away.

“Let us take one match at a time. There are no easy games for us.”

Asked when will the team assemble, he said: “The plan is to assemble on the weekend of March 11/12 (2017) as the players would start to assemble after their respective I-League games.

But there would be boys who would be involved in the AFC Cup and we will only have them available some days later.”

Read more | At I-League show, Sunil Chhetri bats for a unified Indian football league

Asked if India will be playing a Friendly match prior to their first game, Constantine said: “Given that we are playing an away game first, we want to play an International Friendly on our way to Myanmar.

“It would benefit us to have valuable match practice as the intensity of International Football is entirely of a different level than domestic football. Let me reiterate, Myanmar won’t ever be an easy opposition away or even at home.

So will we see new faces at the Camp?

“I have always said the players who do the work will get the opportunity. The door is open to each and every Indian Player who qualifies to play for India,” Constantine said.

“Myself and Venky (Shanmugam Venkatesh) are following the Hero I-league very closely and watching players. We will make our selections based on what we know and what we see.”

Catch all the Latest Football matches score updates alongwith EPL 2024 Schedule , ISL 2024 Schedule and other related updates on ISL 2024 Points table on The Hindustan Times website and App
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On