Bangalore: Midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh said here Monday that India were not looking for a draw but a historic win against Macau to seal a berth in next year’s Asia Cup in the second leg match of the Qualifiers here Tuesday.
“Even if we draw the match against Macau, we will qualify for the Asia Cup. But no, we are not eyeing a draw, but for an historic win, which will ensure our place in Asia Cup tournament,” Lyngdoh told reporters here. The win will ensure India’s qualification for the Asia Cup for the first time since 2011, rendering the results of the last two matches, inconsequential.
However, Lyngdoh said India were not taking Macau lightly. “We have nine points from three games, despite this, we are not over confident. Macau are a good and a compact team,” Lyngdoh pointed out.
“We need to break them down as fast as we could to prevent them from building their strength as game progresses,” he added.
Asked about his role as a senior player in the national side, Lyngdoh said more than anything else he feels himself to be more mature on the field, and likes to pass on his experience to juniors. He also said that there were no regrets that the side have failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
“Our World Cup campaign never got underway… we are a new unit. No regrets though, we may not have qualified for the World Cup, but we are on the verge of playing the main round of the Asia Cup after 2011. That is creditable, considering that we started from scratch,” Lyngdoh stated.
Press Trust of India