Yangon: India will have their task cut out when they face hosts Myanmar in their third and final match of the 2020 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers on Tuesday.
Coach Maymol Rocky’s charges will have momentum on their side as they go into the match on the back of a stunning 7-1 win against Bangladesh.
After playing out a 1-1 draw in their opener against Nepal, the Indian women responded with a resounding victory in their second game, with Bala Devi getting on the scoresheet four times and Kamala Devi scoring twice. “7-1 is a good margin of victory. We wanted to win against Nepal but couldn’t, so it was important that we won against Bangladesh,” said Rocky.
She added, “The girls were excellent on the day and all the credit for the win goes to them. I hope people and fans across India will appreciate the result.”
India have four points from two matches, the same as Myanmar who won their first match by a 5-0 margin against Bangladesh and followed it up with a surprising 1-1 draw against Nepal on Sunday.
With a FIFA world ranking of 44, the hosts are the highest-ranked side in the group but they could only manage a point against 108-ranked Nepal, which has made the final matchday an enticing prospect with all four teams still in the running for a spot in the second round.
Talking about the upcoming encounter, coach Rocky said that her team will be aiming for nothing less than three points.
“We need to remain focused on the task at hand. A draw or a win will help us in the qualification race but we are thinking only about the win. The girls are motivated and I am sure they will go all out and give their 100 per cent against Myanmar,” she said. (PTI)
