India face Myanmar, eye top spot

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We have come here well prepared and have come three days early to get ourselves adjusted as we need to win. We were unlucky not to win at home.

GERD ZEISE, Myanmar coach

MARGAO: Having made the cut, a buoyant Indian football team will fancy its chances when it locks horns with Myanmar in the return leg of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Stephen Constantine’s men will be buoyed by their 12- match unbeaten streak.

A win at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda would take India to the top position.

Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan have four points each, while Macau are placed at the bottom of the table without a point.

Myanmar, having lost their home match against India 0-1 in Yangoon, have arrived here three days early to get used to the conditions, and a win would keep them in the fray.

Myanmar coach Gerd Zeise knows the importance of the game.

“We have come here well prepared and have come three days early to get ourselves adjusted as we need to win. We were unlucky not to win at home after dominating the match, we created lots of scoring chances but our strikers failed to cash on them.

“India’s defence is well organised and we need to play to our potential to win tomorrow,” said Zeise.

India have done well under Constantine, including ending a 64-year wait against Myanmar by beating them 1-0 at home.

India’s captain Sunil Chhetri, who scored the stoppage- time winner in the first-leg game, said the visitors are a compact side and cautioned his players against complacency.