India’s veteran defender Sandesh Jhingan said they need to be more decisive and clinical at both ends against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday. The Blue Tigers suffered a 2-0 loss against Thailand in a friendly contest on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium and there is no doubt they would need to come up with an improved show.
Earlier in March, Manolo Marquez’s team played a goalless draw against Bangladesh in their opening match of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, against Thailand, India had their chances but lacked finishing at the goal, which led to their downfall.
“When we arrived (in Hong Kong) just after the Thailand game, the focus for the team was on recovery. However, the main focus since we assembled for the camp in Kolkata (on May 18) has always been to get the maximum points against Hong Kong,” Jhingan said to the-AIFF.com.
“It’s all about preparing ourselves in the training sessions leading up to the game so we can arrive at the match in the best way possible, both physically and mentally, and try to get maximum points,” he continued.
The 31-year-old from Chandigarh said the team needs to be clinical in their defense, and they must come up with a collective show.
“We need to be more decisive and clinical inside the boxes at both ends,” Jhingan opined.
“First and foremost, we need to be more solid at the back. If the defense is good, we will have more chances going forward. And the other part, of course, is that we need to be more clinical in attack. There were both positives and negatives from that (Thailand) game, and we will analyze and build on them,” he continued.
India had registered a comprehensive 4-0 win against Hong Kong in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers but Jhingan said the past records count for little.
“In football, you can never rest on the laurels of the past. I remember we played them (in 2022), and we won 4-0, but that’s a thing of the past now,” Jhingan remarked.
“We know how good a side they are and how important this game is, and that’s that,” he concluded.
