India head coach Khalid Jamil said that playing teams like Brazil and Uruguay will be a turning point in Indian football. India are scheduled to play 3 high profile friendlies with Panama, Brazil and Uruguay on September 26, October 3 and October 6 respectively.
“Yes, it will be a turning point for Indian football. We are playing Brazil for the first time in history. We must think positively. We must focus on only one thing. India must go ahead. Our main target is next year, 2027, Asia Cup qualification. Before that, we are playing with strong teams. This is a very good thing happening for Indian football,” Jamil told PTI in an interview on Wednesday.
“I think, more than anything else, this is history for India. If anybody talks negatively, he must stop. We need support from the fans. I feel that if the crowd supports India 100 per cent, the players will be motivated and will perform well. It is very useful for the players and for everyone. It is a motivation. It is one step and then the next step is that we need to play more matches to gain confidence,” he added.
Talking about the importance of playing high ranked teams as opposed to lower ranked ones, Jamil said that the former games would give the Indian players room to grow and learn.
“We need to play more matches. I don’t want to play against low-ranking teams. It is better to play with a high-ranking team. There will definitely be improvement. The players will learn from it. And as a coach, there will be an improvement in how to interact. So overall, it is beneficial for everyone,” he said.
“They need good support, and we must believe in them. They will do a good job. And I have selected players according to their merits, according to their performance. It is a balanced team,” he added.
