AMMAN: India lost 1-2 against Japan in a 5th WAFF U-16 Championship match here in their first-ever meeting between the two countries at this level but head coach Bibiano Fernandes said the “encouraging” performance will go a long way in boosting the confidence of his players.
India took the lead in the 26th minute through Vikram Pratap Singh when he converted from the spot but Japan came back in the second half to pump in two goals, one each from Kuraba Kondo (57th) and Shoji Toyama (64th). “The performance would go a long way in instilling the belief not just within the team but among a lot of supporters and well-wishers and among all stakeholders that we can play,” Fernandes said. “The goal was a special moment for all of us, scoring against Japan to take the lead is so much satisfying.
We were upbeat and confident from the start and understandably there was a lot of excitement on the bench when we took the lead,” he added. India have qualified for the AFC U-16 Championship in Malaysia and are currently on an exposure tour to Jordan. (PTI)
