We have a five per cent chance of winning a match: U-17 coach

The Fifa U-17 World Cup is around the corner and India is anxious to see how the home team fares as it competes on the grand stage for the first time. Head coach Luis Norton de Matos believes the India U-17 side is confident though the odds are stacked against them.

“We realise our chances of winning a match is extremely bleak. I think we have a five percent chance of achieving a positive result in those games and we need to fight for that,” the Portuguese coach said on Thursday.

India are drawn with powerhouses USA, Colombia and Ghana in Group A. The hosts start their campaign against USA on October 6 before facing Colombia on October 9 and Ghana on October 12. “The coming months will be tough because the players will have to concentrate, but we cannot be more confident going into the first game because I believe we can make an impression,” Matos added.

“The draw has pitted us against some of the toughest teams. But two of our players (Sanjeev Stalin and Dheeraj Singh) told me they think we will win and that is the confidence you can expect from us.”

Matos dismissed any talk of home advantage. “It is unwise to consider that we will have any home advantage. The players from Ghana and Colombia will have no problems getting acclimatised and USA are already training in Dubai,” he said.

Things had looked bleak for the team when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) sacked Nicolai Adam as coach in January over his treatment of the players.

However, the team performed well during exposure trips to Portugal and Italy, beating Italian side Valmontone City U-17 and drawing SL Benfica U-17 2-2.

It was a creditable turnaround for a side riddled with issues and Matos was all praise for the youngsters. “We have progressed a lot. We have produced good football, but it does not matter when there are no points for your performances. However, we showed in Europe that Indian players are on a par with European players,” Matos added.