AFC ASIAN CUP: Play to win is the mantra: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

by Vineet Varma January 6, 2019

Abu Dhabi, January 5, 2019: India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu asserts his team will play for a win against Thailand in their 2019 AFC Asian Cup opener.

“It will be a challenge for us tomorrow against Thailand. But the boys are ready to face them. We will play for a win. We have worked really hard in the last four years to be here. We will try to put on the best show possible. The boys have been doing the hard work on and off the pitch. We need to make sure the work does not go in vain. We are proud of the self-belief which we have acquired,” the custodian said at the pre-match press conference.

India play hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain in Group A. This is India’s fourth ever appearance in the tournament — the last coming in 2011. Their best performance till date is the second-place finish in 1964.

“As a team, we have proved that we can win. We are concentrating on the challenge ahead and will take one match at a time. The main thing is to stay positive, and be consistent. The experience of being in the squad in 2011 was huge for me. I learnt a lot from it. It was a different team in 2011 when players were at their peak. This team is young and could play for years to come. The desire in this team is ever-growing and we are hungry to prove ourselves,” he concluded.

India play Thailand in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup at the Al Nahyan Stadium on January 6, 2019. The game will be telecast on Star Sports and streamed live on Hotstar at 7pm (IST).

AIFF MEDIA

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