U23 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers: With odd against it, India looks to stun UAE to remain in qualifying race

After the defeat towards host China by a slender margin, India U23 is set to show issues round in its final group stage match of the Group G AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers towards United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday.

A win for UAE will take it to the highest of the group because it drew 1-1 in its first recreation towards China, whereas India should win by an enormous margin to maintain its hopes alive of qualifying as one of many high 4 second-placed groups within the competitors.

“I’m very pleased with the way my players have reacted after the game against China PR. Their attitude is fantastic and their dedication and professionalism are unwavering. These are the things that matter the most, especially in the first training session after a defeat.

“The boys are hurt because of the loss and the manner in which we lost, but their attitude is extremely positive and they are raring to go again with the same spirit in the next game against UAE,” mentioned India U23 Head Coach Clifford Miranda.

Sharing his ideas on the upcoming opponent, Miranda mentioned, “UAE is both technical and physical, but I think we are capable enough to handle any kind of physicality. We are also very strong, even though we may be inferior in terms of height. There is no deterrent or excuse for matching up against the UAE.”

When requested if there might be an attack-heavy method to the final recreation, particularly as a result of India might want to win large to offer itself an opportunity to qualify for the ultimate spherical of the competitors, the previous India participant mentioned he believed it’s a bit extra advanced than that.

“It’s an international game and we can’t just be thinking about scoring and leave openings that our opponents can capitalise on. The most important thing is to have a positive approach to go out and win the game, but win the game with caution. We will assess the match-up and be careful in our approach. Of course, we need to play to win, but we need to win by being practical.”

The match will kick off on the Dalian Sports Centre Stadium at 2 p.m. IST.