Lack of stamina football team's undoing

"Indians lack stamina and are unable to play with intensity the entire duration of the match,"Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said.

All India Football Federation President Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, on Friday, said that the pathetic show of the Indian football team in recent times was mainly because the best eleven players could never be fielded for the entire duration of a match.

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Indians lack stamina and are unable to play with intensity the entire duration of the match, he said.

"Our boys play attacking football in the first 65 minutes, but later get exhausted due to weak physique and the opponents score goals, which has resulted in our losing games in recent times," he told reporters after inaugurating the Goa Football Association's newly-renovated stadium at Duler, Mapusa.

Goa, Bengal, Kerala, Mumbai are the powerhouses of football, still they did not have upcoming players at the age level of under-19 and under 20, he said.

"Such players we find only in north eastern states. This trend should be improved in order to improve our football standards. Next year, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will visit India and I will bring him to Goa."

Goan clubs like Salgaocar and Dempo should have their own stadium, which will be beneficial to them and other teams in general, Dasmunshi said.