Abu Dhabi: India custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu feels the key to India’s success in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup which starts Saturday will be in approaching the games smartly – one at a time.
“No team will come into the Asian Cup without doing their homework. I am sure the other three teams will hold us in high regards as well. All of our three opponents are big challenges to face,” Gupreet was quoted as saying by the AIFF website.
“We have to be smart in our approach. We have to take it one game at a time, look to get the best possible result in the first game, and then approach the second match accordingly,” he added.
Sandhu insisted that for a team to be successful, communication between defenders and goalkeepers is vital. “Once you play with each other and gain confidence, it gets better. The more you play together, the trust level increases,” he added.
Asked if he feels pressure living up to Subrata Pal’s performance in 2011, Gurpreet said the tournament was an eye-opener for him.
“Even at that point in time, with no disrespect to someone like Subrata-bhai, I felt that I should be the one playing… Just kidding. I had the desire to play for the country and it was an eye-opener for me the manner he played. He was absolutely stunning and made a number of brilliant saves.”
Chhetri backs youngsters
Abu Dhabi: India captain Sunil Chhetri has backed the squad’s young core to play out of their skins and test their Asian Cup opponents when they kick-start their campaign Sunday against Thailand. “Apart from me and Gurpreet (Singh), it’s a first-time experience for all else. Everyone is ready to grab this opportunity. I can assure you that it won’t be an easy job for other teams to face us,” the skipper said.