India will have to deal ‘with pressure’ of playing Oman
BANGALORE: Pitted against formidable Asian powerhouses like Iran and Oman in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Indian national football team coach Stephen Constantine said that his main aim is to target an all-win record in the home games.
India will start their campaign against Oman here on June 11 followed by an away match against Guam on June 16.
“In these kind of contests like World Cup Preliminary Qualifiers, ideally we would like to win home games. Anyway beating teams like Iran, Turkmenistan and others, at home or away is difficult,” he told reporters here after team’s training session.
The Indian squad are here for a preparatory camp ahead of its 2018 Fifa World Cup preliminary qualification matches against Oman and Guam. India have been clubbed in Group D of the qualifiers along with Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Guam.
Constantine said Oman is a very good side and boys will be under pressure. “Oman has been a very good side for a very long time. You don’t go to Asian finals if you are not a good side. Boys will be under pressure playing against Oman. They have to deal with pressure,” he said.
Constantine further said there are no easy games at international level, even teams like Iran and Turkmenistan would be difficult to beat. “There are no easy games for us, whomever we play against. Oman, Turkmenistan and others will not be easy to beat,” he said. Constantine said it is not about good or bad team, but about participating regularly. “It also depends on how active and inactive you are. If we play two games in a year - that is why we are so low because you are not active. It is not just about how good and how bad is the team is, it is about your participation,” he said.
Constantine said he would like to have two to three weeks at his command before going into the match against Oman because he had some new players in his side.
“Obviously, I would have liked two or three weeks. We have new players and obviously takes time to make them understand what we need but there is no point crying about it. We want to do as good as we can in shot span that we have,” he further added.
Replying to a question, Constantine said he had picked players for the national side watching them perform in I-League.
“I-league is the first option where I would have to see players perform and pick them up for the national side. If I don’t find players from I-League, where will I find?” he said.
Asked if he is happy with the kind of players he has in the Indian squad, Constantine said, “Possibly, we have the best players at the moment making into the Indian squad.”
Questioned why he opted for Bengaluru to host India-Oman match, Constantine said it is a good place to play but wished for a training facility at par with international standards.
“I think this is a good place to play. I just wished we had training facility. International teams badly need training centre, where we can always go. I would like to see that happening in some point of time in future,” he said.
Constantine had chose a 26-member squad for the two matches from an initial list of 38 players.