With less than 20 days to go for India to clash swords against USA in its opening game of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, India’s head coach Luis Norton de Matos is confident the boys in blue can show they are on the same page as the rest of the world.
“All games are winnable in football, there is no game which can’t be won. Even if there is a five per cent chance of winning we will fight for it,” Matos said. “We want to show that the Indian team is as organised as the rest of the world and if we can show the world that we too can play football, it would be even better,” he maintained.
The Indian U-17s are currently gearing up for the U-17 World Cup campaign in Goa which starts from October 6 in New Delhi. The colts recently had taken part in a four-nation tournament in Mexico after being part of exposure trips in Europe, facing national team and club teams such as Benfica, Serbia and Macedonia amongst others.
“The level of the Indian U-17s is very high but come the World Cup it will be a different ball game altogether. However, if we can prove that the Indian team can play on the same page as the opposition in the World Cup, there is a victory in that,” Matos added.
“Every game you play either you win or it is a learning experience. Against Chile and Macedonia, we registered good results but the World Cup will be a competition and competitions are different for friendly games,” he stated.
“It is amazing to be a part of a unique moment in Indian football’s history. I am very happy to be a part of it. If the players continue to play with hard work and dedication and chart goals for them, they can go on to be some of the best in the coming years,” he certified.
The Portuguese head coach further added: “The players are already heroes because they will be playing in India’s first ever participation in a FIFA World Cup. This generation can inspire many coming generations to take up football in India.”
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