HO CHI MINH CITY (Vietnam): Senior defender Sandesh Jingan could be rested in the first FIFA international friendly match between India and Singapore at the Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament on Saturday.
Jhingan and her teammate Chinglensana Singh did not accompany the team due to issues with travel documents and did not board until 3am on Friday morning.
According to team sources, the head coach Igor Stimac could well rest Jhingan for the opener and give him a start against Vietnam, a team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup.
Head coach Stimac, however, looked confident but cautious on the eve of India’s first meeting with Singapore in 10 years.
The Croatian coach said that although Singapore have made huge progress in recent years, India have the ability to tame their opponents.
“Singapore have made great progress in recent years. They have a new coach, who has made some changes to the system which often makes things difficult for opponents. But I will tell my players to play with confidence against them and show exactly what we have in store for them,” Stimac said.
Stimac believes Singapore will play attacking football.
“Singapore are pretty good, especially in the high pressure area. I’ve watched the way they press the ball all over the pitch to make it difficult for the rivals. So there’s a little advantage they have to this regard,” added the coach.
The 55-year-old World Cupper is aware of some of the challenges his team faces.
Stimac didn’t forget to mention that in terms of fitness level and readiness, his team is slightly undercooked as the team only had one full session in Ho Chi Minh City before heading off. enter the game.
“We must not ignore the fact that their physical condition is, at the moment, better than ours, but we must be calm and arrive on the pitch with high morale.”
But he feels he has enough players to keep Singapore’s forward line at bay.
“I think we have enough players with technical abilities who can find a way to escape such high pressure, and with many players in the middle, which makes things tight and difficult. But we will find spaces on weak positions and play as per our plan,” joked Stimac.
The Blue Tigers will be seen in action for the first time after their successful campaign in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June where they played three games and finished with a one hundred percent winning record.
“Football is a process and we have to be patient. It’s a laborious process where you have to know what you have to do to get there in the end,” the coach said.
Stimac also mentioned the team’s performance in the June qualifiers, which is the result of an ongoing process that was started for players to prove themselves for the national team.
“After the three-year process, we have stability, composure and surely better prospects than three years ago. I am convinced that we have a better future,” said Stimac, who recently obtained a extension until next year’s Asian Cup final. .
Jhingan and her teammate Chinglensana Singh did not accompany the team due to issues with travel documents and did not board until 3am on Friday morning.
According to team sources, the head coach Igor Stimac could well rest Jhingan for the opener and give him a start against Vietnam, a team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup.
Head coach Stimac, however, looked confident but cautious on the eve of India’s first meeting with Singapore in 10 years.
The Croatian coach said that although Singapore have made huge progress in recent years, India have the ability to tame their opponents.
“Singapore have made great progress in recent years. They have a new coach, who has made some changes to the system which often makes things difficult for opponents. But I will tell my players to play with confidence against them and show exactly what we have in store for them,” Stimac said.
Stimac believes Singapore will play attacking football.
“Singapore are pretty good, especially in the high pressure area. I’ve watched the way they press the ball all over the pitch to make it difficult for the rivals. So there’s a little advantage they have to this regard,” added the coach.
The 55-year-old World Cupper is aware of some of the challenges his team faces.
Stimac didn’t forget to mention that in terms of fitness level and readiness, his team is slightly undercooked as the team only had one full session in Ho Chi Minh City before heading off. enter the game.
“We must not ignore the fact that their physical condition is, at the moment, better than ours, but we must be calm and arrive on the pitch with high morale.”
But he feels he has enough players to keep Singapore’s forward line at bay.
“I think we have enough players with technical abilities who can find a way to escape such high pressure, and with many players in the middle, which makes things tight and difficult. But we will find spaces on weak positions and play as per our plan,” joked Stimac.
The Blue Tigers will be seen in action for the first time after their successful campaign in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in June where they played three games and finished with a one hundred percent winning record.
“Football is a process and we have to be patient. It’s a laborious process where you have to know what you have to do to get there in the end,” the coach said.
Stimac also mentioned the team’s performance in the June qualifiers, which is the result of an ongoing process that was started for players to prove themselves for the national team.
“After the three-year process, we have stability, composure and surely better prospects than three years ago. I am convinced that we have a better future,” said Stimac, who recently obtained a extension until next year’s Asian Cup final. .