Will script history

Coach Constantine upbeat about India’s chances against Bahrain

The odds are stacked against India but a confident head coach Stephen Constantine says his players have it in them to qualify for the next round of the AFC Asian Cup by beating Bahrain, here on Monday.

Constantine says his side can script history.

"I have said it before that we can qualify from this group. That is our objective right now," said Constantine on the eve of the match.

"I don't believe in records. There are a lot of factors that come into play. When was the last time we played them? Was it the same team? What were the circumstances? Everything's always changing," said Constantine.

"If we win, we don't have to worry about anyone else. So we'll focus on ourselves and see what happens from there. It's an important game for us. Obviously, we want to do well and get the three points.

"I'm not sure whether we can call it 'do-or-die'. That's a bit too dramatic, I think," Constantine said.

The India coach had words of praise for the opponents.

"They defend very well and are very well organised. I'm sure that it will be difficult. But we have shown that we can score against good teams. I'm sure we can score tomorrow as well," he maintained.