New Delhi: Derrick Pereira was Wednesday named head coach of the India U-23 team for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifiers to be played in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, beginning March 22. The other participants are Tajikistan and Pakistan.
Pereira, who is the technical director of FC Goa, will be in charge of the preparatory camp in Goa which kicks-off, March 2.
“The team will also be playing a friendly match against Qatar U-23 national side in Doha, March 11,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a release.
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das congratulated Derrick on his elevation and said his experience will be invaluable for the U-23 team.
“His coaching pedigree along with AFC Pro Licence degree is the perfect recipe to guide our young players in the AFC U-23 qualifiers. We aim to qualify from the group to the AFC Championship next year, and I wish him and the team good luck,” Das said.
Pereira said it was an honour to be associated to with the national team. “I know most of the players and have seen them in action. But we need to find the right combination to perform and achieve the desired results,” he stated.
National team director Abhishek Yadav, also a former Indian captain, said: “The experience of Derrick Pereira as a coach will be important for our team.”
Pereira stressed the challenge against Qatar in the friendly game will be ‘tough’. “They are a quality side. I have a feeling that some of the U-23 boys from Qatar will be in their 2022 World Cup squad. It will be a tough challenge which will help us prepare for future assignments,” he explained.
PTI