India beat Oman 2-1 in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers on Sunday courtesy of goals from Rahim Ali and Vikram Pratap Singh.
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Indian men’s football team head coach Igor Stimac has lauded his players for their 2-1 win over Oman in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Rahim Ali put India ahead within the opening seven minutes from the penalty spot after Vikram Pratap Singh was fouled inside the box. In the 37th minute, Vikram doubled the lead for the Blue Tigers. Although Waleed Ali scored a consolation goal in the added time, the Indian team secured a very important three points and their first win over Oman at the U-23 level.
“The entire credit goes to the boys especially given the fact that they didn’t have much time to prepare for this. The togetherness they displayed on the pitch, and their tactical discipline makes me extremely happy. But this is just one game, and there are two more to go,” Head Coach Igor Stimac stated.
It was a very good performance from team India as they were very good going forward and defended pretty well to hold on to the lead. But the Coach wasn’t much willing to read into it. “I have told my boys to forget this result. It’s always important how you leave a tournament, and not how you start it. We concentrate on the next game, and we go one by one,” Stimac added.
Most of the players in the squad have come through the Indian Arrows project, the likes of KP Rahul, Rahim, Vikram, Deepak Tangri have all been part of the Indian Arrows set up. Tangri did a very good job alongside Narender Gahlot in the central defence. “I’d say the Indian Arrows project helped us immensely – not just for me, but for the entire batch. It helped develop our footballing ability and skill,” Tangri said.
“The most important facet of the Arrows project is the exposure it gave us with regards to the multitude of opponents we faced in various countries at the U19 level. It built confidence in us. Getting more and more games at a young age coupled with the fact that we played teams from different regions exposed us to play against multiple styles, and all of that aided in our development,” the ATK Mohun Bagan defender added.
Narender Gahlot added: “We have to dust ourselves off and focus on the next task at hand which is the upcoming game against UAE. They are the hosts of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, and are extremely strong.”
India will next face UAE knowing a win will all but secure a place in the finals.
