Kathmandu, Sep 9: After collecting three points in the opening match against Pakistan, Indian Women’s Team Head Coach Suren Chettri feels the “team needs to improve on certain areas to get the job done.”
India are next slated to play Maldives tomorrow (Sept 10) at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu.
“We dominated a larger part of the game against Pakistan. But there is still a lot of room for improvement,” Suren said.
“We need to work on our passing, and penetration.”
At the practice session, coach Suren meant serious business. The girls were put through certain challenging drills. Though India had more of the domination and possession against Pakistan, Suren wants them to be more penetrative against Maldives. “We will make more of the ball possession which is very important. The girls need to have more passion on the field,” Suren said.
“They (Maldives) don’t play much attacking football. But it is very hard to break them down as they defend in numbers. Hence, we need to be more aggressive.”
Captain Ashalata Devi is a role model for the younger lot. She has also been the leader both on and off the field, getting them to stay close. The job, she understands, is not yet done. “We are taking it one match at a time. There is no place to rejoice in such a tournament. The moment you tend to relax, you will be caught napping on the field. The coach has put in certain plans, and it is now our duty to execute them on the field,” Ashalata said.
Ashalata had played against Maldives in the SAFF Women’s Championship in 2019 where India won by 6-0. “I have played Maldives before in the South Asian Games, and am aware of some of their strategies. I have shared all of that with my teammates. We need to come home with the three points,” she added.(IANS)
