Amarjit Singh has expressed optimism about India’s chances in its contest against Qatar. The midfielder, recovering from an elbow injury, acknowledged the might of Qatar, but said “there is no reason” why India cannot overcome the current Asian champion.
The two teams lock horns on Tuesday in Doha in its second match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 joint qualifiers Round Two.
“In football, it’s all about those 90 minutes. Nothing else matters,” Amarjit, currently under rehab for six-eight weeks, said. “A year back, did anyone ever think that Qatar would be Asian Champions? But they have overcome powerhouses like Japan, Australia, Iran, and Korea Republic. That was quite unthinkable.
“So there’s no reason to believe we can’t. I understand Qatar are labelled as ‘Spain of Asia,’ and that too for a reason. They are a very good team. But on the field, no history matters. It’s about fighting face to face, for the ball, and with the ball. We need to be mentally strong, and not get overawed playing them at their home. I repeat, it isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either,” Amarjit said.
‘Livewire’
India captain Sunil Chhetri praised Amarjit, and called him a “livewire” on the field.
“Amarjit is a livewire. He is somebody who is so honest. If you tell him that you need to punch the wall for three hours, three hours later, when you come back you will still see him punching it. He has been a standout performer in the last 3-4 games for us. I really hope he recovers soon.”
Read | 'No reason to fear' - Stimac ahead of Qatar clash
Amarjit deserved to be with the team, head coach Igor Stimac stated. “I always believe in young players because they bring great motivation into the team — they bring freshness, they bring fight into the team — that’s what I am proud of,” he said.
“Amarjit absolutely deserved to be here with us. All I can say that is that we are waiting for you. You are part of this team. Get well soon and rejoin us. He is someone with great technical capability, can pass it around, and bring in the fight,” he added.
‘Hurts to be out’
Amarjit admitted, “It hurts to be out.”
“It’s Qatar tomorrow. There’s no reason why we can’t. It’s about those 90 minutes,” he reiterated.
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