Kuala Lumpur: The India U-16 team may have missed their chance of securing a FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification next year in Peru by a whisker, but head coach Bibiano Fernandes seemed positive saying his side have showed everyone what they are capable of and stated ‘The world hasn’t ended for us.’
Needing just a win to qualify for the age-group global showpiece, the Indian colts crashed out of the AFC U-16 Championship following a narrow loss to title contenders South Korea in the quarterfinals Monday night.
“The world hasn’t ended for us,” Bibiano said. “We go back and begin again. The U-16 Championship is over and it is time to look forward to the U-19 Championships. This was an experience and we go back enriched.”
Sunil Chhetri texted me after the match and said he is the biggest fan. This is the biggest inspiration for all the boys and a big thank you to him from all of us
Bibiano Fernandes
The coach added that he was extremely proud of his side’s performance throughout the tournament. “The boys gave their hundred per cent in the match. We have showed the world what India are capable of. We pipped Iran in our group and finished ahead of them to qualify for the quarterfinals. The match against Korea proved that it wasn’t a fluke,” Bibiano asserted.
Speaking about the game, Bibiano said, “We knew how strong team South Korea were. We played our high pressing game with compact defending, but it was that one moment where we fell complacent and Korea scored.”
