India's coach Wim Koevermans: Our greatest quality is the manner in which we counter-attack

Wim Koevermans, coach of the Indian team at the post match press address

Following a close 1-0 victory, the coach of the Indian national football team, Wim Koevermans spoke to the media and indicated that India will look to rely on playing on the counter in the Asian Games where they will take on much stronger opposition.

He said, “This was our 6th match in the last 6 weeks, all in preparation for the Asian Games. Pakistan was a good opposition, they played well in the first 15 minutes after which we took over. We scored a good goal, but again, we did not start the second half well. Then the red card happened, and we defended well. They also hit the bar in the end, but it was a good learning experience for us. Pakistan gave us good resistance, which I think was good for our preparation.”

When asked about Robin Singh’s sending off, the Dutchman said, “I still need to see the footage, but I will speak to him.” He also informed that Sandesh Jhingan went off with cramps, and it was not a major scare.

On Gurpreet Singh and his availability for the friendlies and the Asian Games, he said, “We have been in touch with him, and had asked him to come here by the 10th of August, but he hasn’t got clearance from Norway yet. We have done our part, now it is his upto him.”

He also gave an idea of how he would like India to play during the Asian Games, saying, “I like wing-play, and we have players who can play well both on the wings and go central, so yes, against stronger teams in the Asian Games, the counter attack could be a good weapon. I wouldn’t want to single out any individual for praise, but Mandar on the left and Francis on the right are also great options.”

Pakistan’s coach Mohammed Shamlan Mubarak was very engaging at the press conference

Pakistan’s coach, Mohammed Shamlan Mubarak said that he was happy with his team’s performance, and that he looked forward to winning the second game so that the series could finish level.

On not being able to capitalize on the red card, he said, “We made some changes in midfield, but we did not take our opportunities. The squad is quite young and learning, our captain Kaleem Ullah himself was made the captain not very long ago, and he is adapting and learning very well.”

He thanked the AIFF and the Bangalore crowd, saying that this was his first time in India, and he can see that India can develop a good football culture.

When asked about the learnings for the next game, he was quite forthcoming, mentioning, “Our set piece defending needs to be better, and we need to have alternative plans. I am sure we will see an improved performance in the next game.”

His thoughts on the Indian team were quite interesting, as he said, “I saw the Indian team in 2013 in the SAFF Games. I don’t see any new tactics. The team is still very dependent on Chhetri. India need a top no 9, and I don’t think Robin Singh is suited to this type of game, nor does he exhibit great deal of understanding.” At the end, he also added tongue-in-cheek, “The Indian coach has been here for 3 years, while I have been with Pakistan for only 9 months, so I don’t know.”

All in all, the opening match of the series was interesting and should make for a great final match on Wednesday.